Summary
In contrast to the extensive work on in vitro experiments for elucidation of the electrical properties of smooth musculature, the acquisition of knowledge on electrical signal behaviour from smooth-muscle cells in an in vivo situation remains very limited and rare. Smooth-muscle electromyographic recording from the smooth musculature of the genitourinary tract, in particular from the penile cavernous bodies and the urinary bladder, has recently become one of the most interesting issues in both impotence research as well as neurophysiological assessment of the urinary bladder. However, the inadequate available data on corpus cavernosum and EMG recordings remains controversial due to the significant discrepancy between basic physiology of the smooth musculature, technical prerequisites and the expected clinical impact from the smooth-muscle EMG of genitourinary organs. This article is an attempt to describe the fundamentals of smooth-muscle EMG signal behaviour and the technical prerequisites for data acquisition and analysis of electrical activity from smooth-muscle cells of the cavernous bodies and urinary bladder. A description is given of the technical aspects, including methodology and interpretation of the recorded data, and also of the possible interference by artefacts (endogeneous and exogeneous) that might limit the clinical relevance of this encouraging method. The advantages, pitfalls and limitations of online analogous data registration and the possibility of computer-assisted smooth-muscle electrical activity recording and analysis are demonstrated by basic in vivo studies on cavernous bodies and also the detrusor muscle.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Rabiner LR, Gold B (1975) Theory and application of digital signal processing. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs
Brading AF, Mostwin JL, Sibley GNA, Speakman MJ (1986) The role of smooth muscle and its possible involvement in diseases of the lower urinary tract. Clin Sci 70 [Suppl 14]:7–13
Creed KE (1971) Membrane properties of the smooth muscle membrane of the guinea-pig urinary bladder. Pflugers Arch 326:115–126
Levin RM, Brendler K, Wein AJ (1983) Comparative pharmacological response of an in vitro whole bladder preparation (rabbit) with response of isolated smooth muscle strips. J Urol 130:377–381
Levin RM, Ruggieri MR, Velagapudi S, Godron D, Altman B, Wein AJ (1986) Relevance of spontaneous activity to urinary bladder function: an in vitro and in vivo study. J Urol 136:517–521
Potjer RM, Constantinou CE (1989) Frequency of spontaneous contractions in longitudinal and transverse bladder strips. Am J Physiol 257:R781-R787
Boyce WH (1952) Bladder electromyography: a new approach to the diagnosis of urinary bladder dysfunction. J Urol 67:650–668
Brunsting CD (1958) An interpretation of the urinary bladder ‘electromyogram’ as artefact. J Urol 79:165–170
Craggs MD, Stephenson JD (1976) The real bladder electromyogram. Br J Urol 48:443–451
Nanninga JB, Kaplan P (1978) Experience with measurement of bladder electrical activity. J Urol 120:82–85
Stanton SL, Hill DW, Williams JP (1973) Electromyography of the detrusor muscle. Br J Urol 45:289–298
Takaiwa M, Yamaguchi O, Yoshimura Y, Fukaya Y, Shiraiwa Y (1992) Recording the bladder electromyogram for bladder activity evaluation during post-operative urinary urgency. Fukushima J Med Sci 38:91–97
Takaiwa M, Shiraiwa Y, Katahira K, Tsukahara S (1983) A new urinary bladder electromyogram technique. Urol Int 38:1–4
Wagner G, Gerstenberg T, Levine R (1989) Electrical activity of corpus cavernosum during flaccidity and erection of the human penis: a new diagnostic method? J Urol 142:723–727
Stief CG, Djamilian M, Schaebsdau F, Truss MC, Schlick RW, Abicht JH, Allhoff EP, Jonas U (1990) Single potential analysis of cavernous electric activity — a possible diagnosis of autonomic impotence? World J Urol 8:75–79
Jünemann KP, Bührle CP, Stief CG (1993) Current trends in corpus cavernosum EMG. Conclusions of the First International Workshop on Smooth Muscle EMG Recordings/Leiomyogram, April 15–17, 1993, Mannheim, Germany. Int J Impotence Res 5:105–108
Stief CG, Jünemann KP, Kellner B, Gerstenberg T, Merckx L, Wagner G (in press) Consensus and progress in corpus cavernosum EMG (CC-EMG). Proceedings, Second International Workshop on CC-EMG, Hannover, Germany, February 25–26, 1994. Int J Impotence Res
Bührle CP, Jünemann KP, Zwick A, Abel K, Alken P (in press) Evaluation of the smooth muscle EMG with MYDAS, a numerical signal analysis program package. In: Thüroff JW (ed) Investigative urology. VCH, Weinheim
Nussbaumer HJ (1982) Fast fourier transforms and convolution algorithms. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Elliot DF, Rao KR (1982) Fast transforms. Algorithms, analysis, applications. Academic Press, New York
Bührle CP, Jünemann KP, Schmidt P, Berle B, Persson-Jünemann C, Alken P (1993) Electromyographie des Corpus cavernosum beim Hund: Probleme der Signalaufnahme, Verarbeitung und Analyse. Aktuel Urol 24:214–220
Jünemann KP, Bührle CP, Schmidt P, Berle B, Persson-Jünemann C, Alken P (1992) Animal model for cavernous smooth muscle EMG recording under different pharmacological conditions. In: Giuliani L, Puppo P (eds) Urology 1992. Monduzzi Editore, Bologna, pp 765–771
Jünemann KP, Schmidt P, Bührle CP, Berle B, Persson-Jünemann C, Alken P (1993) Schwellkörper-EMG unter verschiedenen pharmakologischen Reizzuständen beim Hund (poster). Z Urol 3:12–14
Persson-Jünemann C, Bührle CP, Jünemann KP, Berle B, Schmidt P, Alken P (1992) Anwendung von Signalanalyse-Techniken bei der Untersuchung der elektrischen Spontanaktivität der Blase. Beitrag 55, 20 Jahre Experimentelle Urologie, 11. Symposium, Wuppertal, Germany, October 15–17
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jünemann, K.P., Scheepe, J., Persson-Jünemann, C. et al. Basic experimental studies on corpus cavernosum electromyography and smooth-muscle electromyography of the urinary bladder. World J Urol 12, 266–273 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00191206
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00191206