Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

External anal sphincter function in spinal patients. Electromyographic and manometric study.

J Weber1, F Beuret-Blanquart, P Ducrotte

  • 1Groupe de Biochimie et de Physiopathologie Digestive et Nutritionnelle, UER Médecine et Pharmacie, Rouen, France.

Diseases of the Colon and Rectum
|May 1, 1991
PubMed
Summary

Spinal cord transection disrupts external anal sphincter muscle activity, impacting rectal distention reflexes. This suggests supraspinal control over resting muscle tone and voluntary control over specific reflexes.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Swallowing Disorders in Severe Brain Injury in the Arousal Phase.

Dysphagia·2016
Same author

Physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) care pathways: adults with severe traumatic brain injury.

Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicine·2012
Same author

[Continent cystostomy: monocentric experience].

Progres en urologie : journal de l'Association francaise d'urologie et de la Societe francaise d'urologie·2012
Same author

Dynamic cardiorespiratory changes in obese women.

The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness·2011
Same author

Direct neurectomy of the motor branches of the tibial nerve in hemiplegic adults: an assessment with a mean follow-up period of 11 years.

Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicine·2010
Same author

Oncology and physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicine·2009

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Gastroenterology
  • Physiology

Background:

  • The external anal sphincter (EAS) plays a crucial role in fecal continence.
  • Understanding the neural control of the EAS is vital for managing defecation disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of supraspinal structures in controlling the EAS.
  • To differentiate between spinal and voluntary control of rectoanal inhibitory reflexes (RAIR) and inflation reflexes (IR).

Main Methods:

  • Anorectal manometry and electromyography (EMG) of the EAS were performed on spinal cord injury patients and healthy controls.
  • Rectal distention was induced with varying volumes of air (10-50 ml) to elicit reflexes.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Spinal cord injury patients showed a decrease or disappearance of resting EAS EMG activity.
  • RAIR duration correlated with rectal distention volume in controls but not in patients.
  • The inflation reflex (IR) was absent in spinal cord injury patients, indicating voluntary control.

    • Conclusions:

    • Resting EAS tone is under supraspinal control.
    • EAS EMG activity is not essential for RAIR in spinal cord injury patients.
    • The IR is a voluntary reflex, not a spinal one, and EAS tone doesn't maintain resting anal pressure in spinal cord injury.