Pelvic floor muscle activity during fast voluntary contractions in continent and incontinent women
Corresponding Author
Monika Leitner
Bern University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health Professions, Division of Physiotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
Correspondence
Monika Leitner, PhD, MSc, MAS, Department of Health Professions, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Murtenstrasse 10, CH-3008 Bern, Switzerland.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorHelene Moser
Bern University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health Professions, Division of Physiotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
Search for more papers by this authorPatric Eichelberger
Bern University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health Professions, Division of Physiotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
Search for more papers by this authorAnnette Kuhn
Bern University Hospital, Gynaecology, Bern, Switzerland
Search for more papers by this authorLorenz Radlinger
Bern University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health Professions, Division of Physiotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Monika Leitner
Bern University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health Professions, Division of Physiotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
Correspondence
Monika Leitner, PhD, MSc, MAS, Department of Health Professions, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Murtenstrasse 10, CH-3008 Bern, Switzerland.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorHelene Moser
Bern University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health Professions, Division of Physiotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
Search for more papers by this authorPatric Eichelberger
Bern University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health Professions, Division of Physiotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
Search for more papers by this authorAnnette Kuhn
Bern University Hospital, Gynaecology, Bern, Switzerland
Search for more papers by this authorLorenz Radlinger
Bern University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health Professions, Division of Physiotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Aims
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) has also been attributed to a lower speed of contraction of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM). Therefore, PFM assessment and training implement fast voluntary contractions (FVC). The purpose of the study was to explore FVC regarding feasibility, on-/offset and rate of activity determination, as well as differences between continent (CON) and stress urinary incontinent (SUI) women.
Methods
Fifty women were included and examined by means of PFM EMG during rest, maximum voluntary contractions (MVC), and five FVC. MVC-peak activity was used to normalize EMG-data. On-/offset of muscle activity was determined as mean of rectified rest activity plus 1 standard deviation. Linear regression was calculated for rate of activity from onset to peak, peak to offset, and within 200 ms after both onset and peak. Peak activity and time variables related to onset, peak, and offset were calculated.
Results
On-/offsets were evaluable for 234/222 of 250 FVC by a computer-based algorithm, 16/28 on-/offsets had to be determined manually. There was no significant difference between groups (CON/SUI) regarding FVC peak (92.1/99.3 %MVC), time to peak (514.2/525.6 ms), and increase of activity (182.8/182.1 %MVC/s). The SUI group showed a significantly slower activity decrease (−120.7/−74.4 %MVC/s).
Conclusions
FVC analyses were shown to be feasible. The significant difference observed between the groups did not refer to activity increase but instead to a prolonged relaxation phase in the SUI group. This prompts to reconsider the interpretation of FVC in PFM testing and training.
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