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Related Experiment Videos

Electrorectogram study of the neuropathic rectum

A Shafik1

  • 1Department of Surgery and Research, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt.

Paraplegia
|June 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts rectal electrical activity, causing abnormal electrorectograms (ERGs). Patients with upper motor neuron lesions show dysrhythmic ERGs, while lower motor neuron lesions result in silent ERGs.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Gastroenterology
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Spinal cord injury (SCI) significantly impacts autonomic nervous system function.
  • Rectal electrical activity, assessed via electrorectogram (ERG), reflects autonomic control of bowel function.
  • Understanding ERG patterns in SCI is crucial for diagnosing and managing neurogenic bowel dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and characterize rectal electrical activity using ERG in patients with SCI.
  • To differentiate ERG patterns between upper motor neuron lesions (UMNL) and lower motor neuron lesions (LMNL) in SCI.
  • To explore potential causes of disordered rectal electrical activity in SCI.

Main Methods:

  • Electrorectogram (ERG) recordings using a silver-silver chloride electrode on rectal mucosa in 28 SCI patients and 9 healthy controls.
  • Simultaneous recording of rectal and rectal neck pressures.
  • Multiple recording sessions (≥4) of 120 minutes each per subject.

Main Results:

  • Normal subjects exhibited regular pacesetter potentials (PP) and variable action potentials (AP) associated with rectal pressure.
  • UMNL patients displayed 'dysrhythmic' ERGs with irregular parameters and absent APs.
  • LMNL patients presented with a 'silent' ERG, indicating a complete lack of detectable electrical activity.

Conclusions:

  • Two distinct ERG patterns, 'dysrhythmic' and 'silent', were identified in SCI patients.
  • These abnormal ERG patterns suggest a derangement of the intrinsic rectal conducting system in SCI.
  • ERG is a valuable tool for assessing rectal autonomic function in SCI patients.

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