Decreased colonic motility in persons with chronic spinal cord injury

In persons with spinal cord injury (SCI), several studies have shown that large bowel transit is decreased at the level of the left colon and rectum, and that postprandial colonic response to food is absent. To define these parameters further, the effects of food on colonic motility in persons with SCI were studied and compared to those of spinally intact (SI) individuals.

The study was conducted in eight subjects with SCI (four paraplegic and four quadriplegic) and six age-matched SI subjects. After routine bowel preparation, colonoscopy was performed with the proximal end of a solid state pressure transducer catheter (four sensors each separated by 10 cm) tethered to the splenic flexure using endoclips (Olympus). The subjects were then allowed to carry out their usual daily activities. Two phases were compared: 1 h before breakfast, designated as the "resting phase," and 1 h during breakfast, designated as the "food-ingestion phase."

Baseline colonic activity of the SCI group was significantly less than in SI subjects. During meals, the motility index, mean amplitude of the waves, percent activity, and number of waves was significantly less in the SCI group. In both the SI and SCI groups, a postprandial colonic response was observed. However, in the SCI group, the response was seen only in the descending colon and not in the rectosigmoid region.

SCI decreases colonic motility, and this alteration may relate to difficulty with evacuation. The postprandial colonic response in SCI is present but is suboptimal and confined to the descending colon.