ABSTRACT
STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. OBJECTIVES: Review the literature on the acute or prophylactic treatment of autonomic dysreflexia in the context of sexual activities. SETTING: International. METHODS: Medline search using AD and spinal cord injury and all years of publication. RESULTS: Thirty-seven papers on the specific treatment of AD showed that nifedipine, prazosin, captopril and clonidine are candidates in the context of sexual activities. Prazosin, however, has an initial hypotensive effect requiring to begin treatment 12 h before intercourse, which makes it less ideal for spontaneous sexual activities. Captopril has an initial hypotensive effect and was only studied in acute AD. Its usefulness in prophylaxis remains to be demonstrated. Clonidine has successfully been used clinically for decades, but never studied in randomized control trials. Nifedipine remains the most widely studied and significant treatment of AD whether in acute or prophylactic conditions. Recent concerns suggest increased cardiovascular risks with sublingual nifedipine in non-SCI populations, but negative long-term effects have not been reported in the SCI population. CONCLUSION: Sexual function is a priority for men with SCI. As sexual activities, in particular ejaculation, can be a source of AD, adequate treatments and prophylaxis must be considered in the context of sexual activities. Experts must meet and conclude on the thresholds, parameters and treatments that should be considered in the long-term management of AD in the context of sexual function in men with SCI.
Subject(s)
Autonomic Dysreflexia/etiology , Autonomic Dysreflexia/therapy , Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological/etiology , Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological/therapy , Spinal Cord Injuries/complications , Spinal Cord Injuries/therapy , Adult , Autonomic Dysreflexia/drug therapy , Autonomic Dysreflexia/physiopathology , Ejaculation/physiology , Humans , Male , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Spinal Cord Injuries/drug therapy , Spinal Cord Injuries/physiopathologyABSTRACT
Seventeen patients with Friedreich's ataxia or spastic ataxia were subjected to an urodynamic evaluation. Fifty-three per cent (53%) of the patients presented with urinary symptoms consisting of urgent micturition and urgency incontinence. Cystometric evaluation showed a lack of inhibition of the detrusor in 7 patients (41%). Abnormal electric hyperactivity of the external sphincter was documented in 6 cases (37.5%) by electromyography. Some hypotheses are presented to explain the etiology of these abnormal findings.
