Cortical TMS was effective in facilitating the PAR in some iSCI subjects. The presence of cortical facilitation of the PAR was not related to the degree of urinary continence.
Study design: Two case studies. Objectives: To determine whether 6 weeks of regular pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) can improve the strength and endurance of voluntary contractions in incomplete spinal cord injury and reduce neurogenic detrusor over-activity (NDO) and incontinence. Setting: The London Spinal Cord Injury Centre, Stanmore, London, UK. Methods: A 6-week programme of PFMT was conducted in two male subjects with stable supra-sacral motor incomplete (AIS C and D) spinal cord injuries. Clinical evaluations before and after training comprised measures of strength and endurance of voluntary pelvic floor contractions both objectively by anal canal-pressure measurements and subjectively using the modified Oxford grading system. NDO was determined by standard urodynamic tests of bladder function and incontinence measured by the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urology. Results: Both subjects improved the strength and endurance of their pelvic floor muscle contractions by over 100% at the end of training. After training, Subject 1 (AIS D) was able to reduce bladder pressure during over-activity almost completely by voluntarily contracting the pelvic floor muscles. Subject 2 (AIS C) achieved a lesser reduction overall after training. Continence improved only in subject 1. Conclusion: These case studies provide evidence that a 6-week programme of PFMT may have a beneficial effect on promoting voluntary control of NDO and reduce incontinence in selected cases with a motor incomplete spinal cord lesion.
INTRODUCTIONIncontinence remains a priority problem for many people with spinal cord injury 1 despite various current treatments including conservative therapies. 2 Control of the bladder, sphincter and pelvic floor muscles (PFM) relies on the integrity of bulbo-spinal, cortico-spinal and lumbo-sacral reflex pathways. Following a motor incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI), voluntary control of the PFM including the striated sphincters significantly weakens, neurogenic detrusor over-activity (NDO), detrusor sphincter dyssynergia and incontinence emerge reducing quality of life. Although PFM training (PFMT) has been shown to be effective in non-SCI patients with lower urinary tract symptoms, for example, by reducing stress incontinence and suppressing bladder over-activity, 3 it appears not to have been tested as a potential therapy in iSCI. Therefore the aim of these two case studies was to determine whether 6 weeks of regular PFMT could improve the strength and endurance of voluntary PFM contractions in iSCI so as to suppress NDO and reduce incontinence. A positive outcome may then justify a pilot study with a larger cohort of iSCI subjects presenting with preserved sensorimotor pathways of the sphincters and PFMs.
MATERIALS AND METHODS ParticipantsA 6-week programme of regular PFMT with clinical assessments before and after was conducted in two male subjects presenting with chronic-stable iSCI, NDO and incontinence.Local research ethics committee approval was obtained (REC Reference ...
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