Related Experiment Videos
A catheter based method to activate urethral sensory nerve fibers
Kenneth J Gustafson1, Graham H Creasey, Warren M Grill
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Wickendon Building, Room 150, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-4912, USA.
The Journal of Urology
|June 11, 2003
Summary
Electrical stimulation of urethral nerves in cats and a human with spinal cord injury (SCI) successfully evoked bladder contractions. This minimally invasive technique offers a potential method for restoring bladder control in individuals with neurological disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Urology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Neurological disorders and spinal cord injury (SCI) often impair bladder control.
- Electrical stimulation of urethral afferent nerves has shown promise in animal models for evoking bladder contractions.
- A minimally invasive method is needed to stimulate these sensory nerves.
Observation:
- A catheter-mounted circumferential electrode was used to electrically stimulate the urethra in 6 cats and 1 human with complete SCI.
- Stimulation was applied along the length of the urethra in cats and at a specific point in the human subject.
- Bladder contractions were observed in response to intraurethral electrical stimulation in both species.
Findings:
- Robust bladder contractions were consistently generated via intraurethral electrical stimulation in cats.
- The most effective stimulation sites in cats were the proximal and prostatic urethra.
- Intraurethral stimulation successfully evoked bladder contractions in the human with SCI, with optimal response 4 cm distal to the bladder.
- Bladder volume influenced the responses in both cats and the human.
Implications:
- This study provides the first evidence of generating bladder contractions through intraurethral electrical stimulation in both cats and humans.
- The findings support the existence of urethral afferent mediated neural pathways in humans, similar to those observed in animal models.
- This research paves the way for developing neural prostheses that utilize electrical stimulation to restore bladder function in individuals with SCI and other neurological disorders.