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Altered bulbocavernosus reflex in patients with multiple system atrophy
Zhang-Yang Wang1,2, Yun-Hao Chen1,2, Ya-Ya Xu1
1a Zhejiang Provincial Top Key Discipline in Surgery, Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Surgery, Department of Surgery , The First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University , Wenzhou , China.
Neurological Research
|April 28, 2016
Summary
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients show abnormal bulbocavernosus reflex (BCR) test results, including longer latencies and lower amplitudes. These findings help pinpoint nervous system damage in MSA.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neurophysiology
Background:
- Multiple system atrophy (MSA) presents with autonomic dysfunction, parkinsonism, and cerebellar ataxia.
- MSA subtypes include MSA-P (parkinsonian) and MSA-C (cerebellar).
- Bulbocavernosus reflex (BCR) and pudendal nerve somatosensory-evoked potentials (PSEPs) can diagnose neuropathologic conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between neurophysiological parameters and MSA.
- To assess the diagnostic value of BCR in MSA patients.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-one MSA patients (MSA-P and MSA-C) and 30 healthy controls were studied.
- BCR and PSEPs were measured using a Keypoint EMG/EP system.
- Latencies and amplitudes of BCR and PSEPs were statistically analyzed.
Main Results:
- BCR was elicited in 78.4% of MSA patients.
- MSA patients exhibited significantly prolonged BCR latencies and lower amplitudes compared to controls (p < 0.001).
- No significant differences in PSEP amplitudes or latencies were observed between MSA patients and controls.
Conclusions:
- MSA patients demonstrate abnormal BCR findings, indicating prolonged latencies and reduced amplitudes.
- These BCR abnormalities suggest nervous system lesions in MSA patients.
- BCR may serve as a valuable neurophysiological marker for MSA.
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