Esophageal Sensation in Spinal Cord Injured Patients: Balloon Distention
and Cerebral Evoked Potential Recording.
DeVault, Kenneth R., Sabrina Beacham, Donald O. Castell, Leopold J. Streletz,
John F. Ditunno.
Departments of Medicine; Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, Graduate Hospital,
Philadelphia, PA and Departments of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine,
Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA
APStracts 3:0102G, 1996.
Background : We sought to determine the esophageal sensory function in
patients with a C6 or C7 spinal cord injury. Methods : A balloon was
repetitively distended 10 cm above the lower esophageal sphincter in 5
patients and 9 normal controls. Sensation was reported on a 0-2 scale with
progressive distention to pain threshold (level 2). Cortical responses were
recorded from midline scalp electrodes. Blinded determinations of quality and
reproducibility of the potentials were performed. Results : All subjects
experienced sensation with esophageal balloon distention. Volumes to sensation
showed a trend towards a higher sensory threshold in patients, but were
significant only for first sensation, not pain. In all subjects, a triphasic
evoked potential response consisting of a negative-positive-negative complex
was noted with distention, but not with sham distention. Characteristics
(amplitude, latency, reproducibility and quality) of the evoked potentials
were not different in patient and control groups. Conclusion : These data
suggest sensory pathways from the distal esophagus are intact in patients with
a C6 or C7 spinal cord injury.
Received 20 January 1996; accepted in final form 23 April 1996.
APS Manuscript Number 35-6.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (GI & Liver Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 28 May 96