Bulbocavernosus Reflex and Pudendal Nerve Somatosensory-Evoked Potentials Responses in Female Patients With Nerve System Diseases

Abstract

To assess the value of bulbocavernosus reflex (BCR) and pudendal nerve somatosensory-evoked potential (SSEP) in the topical diagnosis of central and peripheral nervous system diseases in female patients. Neuroelectrophysiologic technique was adopted to determine both BCR and SSEP of 41 healthy adult females (control group), 30 female patients with spinal cord lesions (central group), and 50 female patients with peripheral nerve lesions (peripheral group), including nine female patients with acute cauda equina syndrome. The abnormality rates of BCR were 8.33% and 70.00% in the central group and the peripheral group, respectively, and there were statistical differences between the two groups. The abnormality rates of BCR were 72.22% in the patients with acute cauda equina syndrome abnormal, who have at least one side of the abnormal BCR. The abnormality rates of SSEP P41 were 86.67% and 82.00% in the control and peripheral groups, respectively, and there were no statistical differences between the two groups. The abnormality rates of SSEP P41 were 88.89% in the patients with acute cauda equina syndrome abnormal. Also, there were no statistical differences between the peripheral group and the patients with acute cauda equina syndrome in the abnormality rates of SSEP or BCR. Both BCR and SSEP changed in the peripheral group, especially in the patients with acute cauda equina syndrome, but only SSEP changed in the central group. BCR and SSEP are valuable in the topical diagnosis of nervous system diseases in females.

Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring

“…Well-designed estimates of the sensitivity of free-run EMG for intraoperative nerve root injuries range from 43% (Bose et al, 2007) down to 0% (Park et al, 2011); other reports (Beatty et al, 1995;Bose et al, 2002) do not provide sufficient information to fully characterize performance. While there are reports of excellent neurophysiologic techniques to assess sacral functions (Rodi and Vodusek, 2001), and extraoperatively studied techniques of clear potential utility have been reported (Frasson et al, 2009;Niu et al, 2010), there are few systematic assessments of the utility of any techniques for any application except the identification of neural tissue for tethered cord release and/or tumor resection in the cauda equina (see chapters 52 to 55 in Nuwer, 2008, for review). What was used in the cases captured in the SRS database?…”

Bulbocavernosus Reflex Test for Diagnosis of Pudendal Nerve Injury in Female Patients with Diabetic Neurogenic Bladder

“…In our previous studies, the BCR test has already been shown to be a highly sensitive and specific detection method for the diagnosis of nervous system diseases in adult male and female populations in China [12-15]. Normal BCR performance has also been established for Chinese male and female subjects, with significant differences in BCR latency between the sexes [16, 17].…”

The value of the bulbocavernosus reflex and pudendal nerve somatosensory evoked potentials in distinguishing between multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease at an early stage

“…15 Therefore, in this study, we examined BCR and PSEPs in patients with MSA and PD, looking for distinguishing hallmarks that might be useful in the differential diagnosis, especially in the early stages of these two disorders. 14 Measurement of pudendal nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (PSEPs) is an objective neurophysiological assessment method for evaluating the entire pudendal nerve afferent pathway.…”

“…14 Measurement of pudendal nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (PSEPs) is an objective neurophysiological assessment method for evaluating the entire pudendal nerve afferent pathway. 15 Therefore, in this study, we examined BCR and PSEPs in patients with MSA and PD, looking for distinguishing hallmarks that might be useful in the differential diagnosis, especially in the early stages of these two disorders.…”