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Telemetric electromyographic monitoring in elderly incontinent men
Author(s) -
O'Donnell Pat,
Hanish Harve M.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
neurourology and urodynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1520-6777
pISSN - 0733-2467
DOI - 10.1002/nau.1930110206
Subject(s) - medicine , urinary incontinence , electromyography , urology , sphincter , urethral sphincter , fecal incontinence , physical medicine and rehabilitation , surgery
Urinary incontinence is a serious social, psychological, economic, and medical problem for elderly people. However, the pathophysiology of incontinence in the elderly is unclear. Previous studies have shown an irregular occurrence of incontinence events regarding incontinence volume, time between episodes, and residual urine volume. In this study, telemetric monitoring of external anal electromyography (EMG), rectus abdominis EMG, bladder pressure, and incontinence detection were done. Involuntary detrusor contractions occurred which were associated with an increase in sphincteric EMG activity and followed by either continence or incontinence. A fall in sphincteric EMG activity was associated with incontinence, while a fall in detrusor pressure was associated with continence. A detrusorsphincter activity interaction appears to exist during involuntary detrusor contractions which may result in either continence or incontinence, depending upon whether the detrusor or the sphincter activity is predominant. The irregular detrusor‐sphincter activity represents a possible etiology of the irregular occurrence of urinary incontinence patterns in elderly patients. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.