The Bulbocavernous reflex is important in the neurological evaluation of patients with impotence or neurogenic bladder. Classically, this reflex has been elicited and estimated by manual stimulation of glans penis or clitoris. However, it is extremely subjective and minimal degrees of neuronal dysfunction cannot be detected. We have applied electrophysiologic testing technique to quantitative this reflex more objectively and to prepare normal data for the pathologic states. There were 15 adult male subjects without erectile disturbance and neuronal dysfunction studied by the electromyographic testing technique. The stimuli were delivered to the ipsilateral and contralateral penile shaft with a frequency of 1/sec., a pulse duration of 0.5 msec. and averaging of 64. The Results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. Mean BCR latency was 35.6+/-1.6 msec. (28-45 msec.), and showed no statistical difference(p>0.5) among the value of different age groups. Ipsilateral and contralateral responses varied from each other by not > 2 msec. 2. Mean sensory threshold was 20 V (15-25 V), and showed no statistical difference(p>0.5) among the values of different age groups. 3. Mean pain threshold was 45 V (35-80 V), and showed no statistical difference(p>0.5) among the values of different age groups. 4. Mean reflex threshold was 40 V (30-60 V), and showed no statistical difference(p>0.5) among the values of different age groups. 5. In entire age groups, the latency diminished slightly as the stimulating voltage was increased.
Adult* ; Clitoris ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Female ; Humans ; Male* ; Neurons ; Pain Threshold ; Penis ; Reflex* ; Sensory Thresholds ; Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Changji' an (CJA) oral liquid on the activated signal alterative intensity (ASAI) in intracranial algesthesia domain in patients with diarrhea type irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) due to Gan-Pi disharmony.

METHODSTwenty-four patients were randomly divided into 2 groups, 14 in the treated group and 10 in the control group, they were administrated with CJA and placebo respectively. The sensory threshold and score in the two groups recorded by rectal inflation test were compared and analyzed. The change of ASAI in intracranial algesthesia domain was analyzed by functional magnetic resonance imagine (fM-RI) during rectum being inflated with 30 ml, 60 ml, 90 ml and 120 ml of gas respectively.

RESULTSThe initial sensory thresholds in the two groups were insignificantly different, but significant difference did show between the two groups in urgent defecation threshold and pain threshold after treatment (P < 0.05). Comparison in visual simulative scores between the two groups after treatment at rectal inflated for 30 ml showed no significant difference, but it showed significant difference when the inflation was over 30 ml (P < 0.05). In the treated group, the ASAI in insula cortex when rectal inflation being 90 ml or 120 ml and that in thalamus when rectal inflation being 120 ml were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). But in the control group, it changed insignificantly after treatment.

CONCLUSIONThe treatment of CJA on Gan-Pi disharmony caused diarrhea type IBS might be effected by regulating the ASAI in intracranial insula cortex and thalamus.

Adult ; Aged ; Brain ; physiopathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diarrhea ; etiology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; complications ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Pain Threshold ; drug effects ; Phytotherapy ; Sensory Thresholds ; drug effects ; Signal Transduction

Use of electric pulp testing elicits painful response in vital teeth. In this study, we examined the excessive time from pain feeling to stimulation disconnection in clinical situation. D626D (Parkell Inc., USA.) scan type electric pulp tester was used in total of 23 young healthy individuals. Each of the right central incisors and first premolars were used as testing teeth. Stimulation disconnection was achieved by EMG in anterior belly of digastric muscle, finger span, and voice and the excessive stimulation time over the sensory threshold was recorded. As a result, we found that the short responses before the stimulation disconnection appeared following order; EMG, finger span, and voice. The EMG disconnection is suggested to be used to reduce the excessive stimulus time in electric pulp testing.
Bicuspid ; Fingers ; Incisor ; Sensory Thresholds* ; Tooth ; Voice

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the small fiber function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus of the early stage by measuring the sensory threshold with the quantitative temperature testing technology.

METHODSTwenty cases of patients with type 2 diabetes with no neurological deficit (DM group) and twenty age and sex-matched healthy controls underwent the detecting of cold sensory threshold (CST), warm sensory threshold (WST), cold pain threshold (CPT), heat pain threshold (HPT) in both inside of their hands.

RESULTSThere was no significant difference in CST, WST, CPT and HPT between left and right inside of hand of the same sample among all the testers. But the four kinds of threshold showed significant difference in the right inside of hand between patients and healthy people ( P < 0.05). In addition, the CST and WST differed significantly in the left inside of hand between the patients and healthy controls while the CPT and HPT showed no significant difference in the left inside of hand between them. Patients group and control group with CST and WST on the left side of the comparison difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONQuantitative analysis of temperature sense threshold can not only reflect increase of the pain threshold value, also can reflect its decrease, i. e. hyperalgesia, which may help to diagnose small fibrous peripheral neuropathy recognition, especially in early diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Case-Control Studies ; Cold Temperature ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; physiopathology ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; diagnosis ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hyperalgesia ; Pain Threshold ; Sensory Thresholds ; Thermosensing

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application of quantitative temperature testing (QTT) in forensic identification and clinical diagnosis of neurogenic erectile dysfunction (NED). METHODS: TSA-II-NeuroSensory Analyzer was used to measure the thresholds of four kinds of sensory, including cold, cold pain, heat, heat pain, in 22 normal and 35 NED patients at dorsal glans (DG), left thigh interior (LTI) and left thenar (LT). To calculate the relative thresholds of the sensory mentioned above between DG and LTI (DG/LTI), and between DG and LT (DG/LT). Then to analyze those thresholds and the relative thresholds. RESULTS: NED group showed significant higher threshold than the normal group in DG-heat, DG-heat pain, LTI-heat, LTI-heat pain, DG/LTI-heat, DG/LT-heat, DG/LT-heat pain (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The threshold of QTT at dorsal glans could be used as an accessory indicator in forensic medicine and clinical diagnosis of NED.
Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Erectile Dysfunction/physiopathology* ; Hand/physiology* ; Humans ; Male ; Nervous System Diseases/physiopathology* ; Neurologic Examination/methods* ; Pain Threshold ; Penis/physiopathology* ; Sensory Thresholds ; Temperature ; Thermosensing

To assess the relationship of pinprick sensory threshold with height and weight, Ninety seven healthy young (age 19 to 28) males were tested on their anatomical snuff box of both Hands. Their WPT was measured by device holding and moving weighted needle sensory threshold apparatus. Mean of the WPT was 0.43(+/-0.24) g in left and, 0.53( 0.30) g in right hand. Difference of WPT between the right and left hand appeared statistically significant (p<0.01) . Correlation coefficient of WPT with height was 0.26461 (p<0.01) in left and, 0.31856 (p<0.01) in right hand. Weight was statistically significantly correlated with WPT in left hand (r=0.24932, p<0.01) The study shows that the left-right difference and influence of height in pinprick sense may exist in normal healthy male adults.
Adult ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Needles* ; Sensory Thresholds* ; Tobacco, Smokeless

This study was conducted to determine the correlation between weighted needle pinprick sensory threshold(PPT) and sensory nerve conduction tests. The subjects were 53 healthy controls, 31 diabetic patients without peripheral neuropathic symptoms(DM) and 36 diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathic symptoms(DN). PPT was measured on the index and little fingers, bilaterally, as well as under the lateral malleolus, bilaterally. In electrophysiologic assessment the left and right median, ulnar and sural nerves were studied. Each mean PPTs was high in order of controls, DM and DN. Age adjusted PPT was significantly different among three groups on right little finger(p<0.05) and left malleolus(p<(0.05), but not significantly different between DN and DM on other sites. Each sensory nerve conduction velocity and amplitude was statistically significantly different among three groups(p<0.05). Correlations of PPT with sensory nerve conduction velocity and amplitude were statistically significant on each site and ranged from -0.4203(left malleolus) to -0.5649(right index finger) and from -0.3897(left index finger) to -0.6200(right index finger), respectively. When electrophysiological study is not feasible, measurement of PPT may be helpful for the assessment of peripheral sensory neurological function.
Fingers ; Humans ; Needles* ; Neural Conduction* ; Sensory Thresholds* ; Sural Nerve

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Sleep dysfunction is associated with altered gastrointestinal function and subsequently exacerbations of gastrointestinal problems. We aimed to investigate whether sleep dysfunction would influence anorectal motility as determined by anorectal manometry. The effect of anxiety on anorectal motility was also determined. METHODS: A total of 24 healthy volunteers underwent anorectal manometry. The anorectal parameters included resting and squeeze sphincter pressure, sensory thresholds in response to balloon distension, sphincter length, rectal compliance, and rectoanal inhibitory reflex. Sleep dysfunction was subjectively assessed by using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Anxiety was assessed by the application of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire. RESULTS: There were sixteen subjects without sleep dysfunction (7 women; mean age, 22 years) and eight subjects with sleep dysfunction (2 women; mean age, 22 years). There was no group difference in the volume threshold for rectoanal inhibitory reflux, rectal compliance or sphincter length (P = NS). Anal sphincter pressure did not differ between the groups (P = NS). The rectal sensitivity for different levels of stimulation did not differ between the groups (P = NS). Sleep quality as determined by PSQI correlated with rectal compliance (r = 0.66, P = 0.007). Although there was no differences in any manometric parameters between subjects with and without anxiety, the anxiety score correlated with rectal compliance (r = 0.57, P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Despite a positive association between rectal compliance and the level of subjective sleep or anxiety, sleep dysfunction did not apparently affect most of anorectal function in healthy subjects, nor did anxiety.
Anal Canal ; Anxiety ; Compliance ; Humans ; Manometry ; Reflex ; Sensory Thresholds

Impaired or blunted rectal sensation, termed rectal hyposensitivity (RH), which is defined clinically as elevated sensory thresholds to rectal balloon distension, is associated with disorders of hindgut function, characterised primarily by symptoms of constipation and fecal incontinence. However, its role in symptom generation and the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the sensory dysfunction remain incompletely understood, although there is evidence that RH may be due to 'primary' disruption of the afferent pathway, 'secondary' to abnormal rectal biomechanics, or to both. Nevertheless, correction of RH by various interventions (behavioural, neuromodulation, surgical) is associated with, and may be responsible for, symptomatic improvement. This review provides a contemporary overview of RH, focusing on diagnosis, clinical associations, pathophysiology, and treatment paradigms.
Afferent Pathways ; Biomechanics ; Constipation ; Fecal Incontinence ; Sensation ; Sensory Thresholds

OBJECTIVESTo establish the normal value of Sniffin' Sticks test in Chinese population and to explore it's clinical application in China.

METHODSOne hundred and five healthy volunteers were choosen from the department of physical examination of Beijing Tongren Hospital between 2007 and 2013. Another 165 patients complained of abnormal olfactory function were obtained from the outpatient clinic of the department of otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery in the same period and were divided into two groups: 92 in hyposmia and 73 in functional anosmia group. The 270 subjects were divided into 3 subgroups:younger group ( <35 years of age), middle-age group (35-55 years of age) and older group ( > 55 years of age). The olfactory functions were examined with Sniffin' Sticks test and T & T test, respectively. All analyses were performed using SPSS 12.0 software.

RESULTSFor the normal value of Sniffin' Sticks test, TDI score was > 30.12 for younger group, > 27.37 for middle-age group and > 20.43 for older group; the mean TDI score was 32.12 ± 3.95 for healthy group, 17.52 ± 10.37 for hyposmia and 3.56 ± 3.49 for functional anosmia group; the differences in TDI score, olfactory threshold, discrimination threshold and identification threshold between healthy group and olfactory dysfunction group with different ages had statistical significance (Younger group: FTDI = 125.136, P = 0.000; FT = 49.454, P = 0.000;FD = 89.037, P = 0.000; FI = 39.888, P = 0.000; Middle-age group: FTDI = 190.240, P = 0.000; FT = 128.374, P = 0.000;FD = 174.122, P = 0.000;FI = 178.945, P = 0.000;Older group: FTDI = 72.992, P = 0.000; FT = 26.599, P = 0.000; FD = 77.119, P = 0.000; FI = 88.107, P = 0.000, respectively) . The mean T & T value was -1.00 ± 0.98 for healthy group, 2.27 ± 2.01 for hyposmia and 5.89 ± 0.14 for functional anosmia group. T & T score between healthy group and olfactory dysfunction group with different ages had statistical significance (Fyounger = 158.144, P = 0.000; Fmiddle-age = 247.695, P = 0.000; Folder = 70.579, P = 0.000, respectively). TDI score of the Sniffin' Sticks test result was correlated with T & T value (r = -0.927, P < 0.01); T & T threshold was correlated with the olfactory threshold, discrimination threshold and identification threshold of Sniffin' Sticks test (rT = -0.846, P < 0.01, rD = -0.908 P < 0.01, rI = -0.864, P < 0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSIONSSniffin' Sticks test and T & T olfactometry are able to differentiate normosmia from hyposmia and anosmia with high reliability and consistency in test results.Sniffin' Sticks test can assess subject's olfactory function status more thoroughly and is suitable for application in Chinese population.

Humans ; Odorants ; Olfaction Disorders ; diagnosis ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensory Thresholds ; Smell