PMC6305431_01
Anatomical placement of 16-electrode array: conventional radiography of the thoracic/lumbar spine displays the position of 16-electrode array (vertebral levels T11-L1).
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F1
Prior to our investigation, a radiologist confirmed correct placement of the 16-electrode array at vertebral levels T11 to L1 via conventional radiography (Figure 1).
Effect of acute epidural spinal cord stimulation (ESCS) on lower urinary tract function: at baseline (A), detrusor pressure (Pdet, in blue), external anal sphincter/pelvic floor muscle tone (EMG, in brown) and cardiovascular parameters [blood pressure (BP, in gray) and heart rate (HR, in black)] are stable. Depending on pre-set parameters (i.e., electrode configuration, amplitude, frequency, and pulse width), ESCS (B-F) increased external anal sphincter/pelvic floor muscle tone and detrusor pressure to various degrees. Cardiovascular responses remained stable (i.e., without and during ESCS). Dashed lines indicate start and stop of ESCS. Electrode configuration are as follows: red = cathode, blue = anode, and white = inactive.
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Effect of acute ESCS on bowel function: compared to conventional bowel routine (A), Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance revealed a significant (p = 0.039) reduction in the time required for bowel management when applying ESCS. *Post hoc analysis (Dunn test for multiple comparison using Bonferroni correction) confirmed significant effect of stimulation (G) compared to conventional bowel routine (23 +- 1 vs. 58 +- 3 min, p = 0.046). The other two stimulation programs (E,H) also reduced time required for bowel management (i.e., 25 +- 3 and 31 +- 4 min), but did not yield statistical significance (p > 0.05) compared to conventional bowel routine. Time needed for bowel management is presented as mean and standard error. Electrode configuration are as follows: red = cathode, blue = anode, and white = inactive.
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F3