Telemetric electromyographic monitoring in elderly incontinent men

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.