Lefaucheur J, Yiou R, Thomas C
Service de Physiologie - Explorations Fonctionnelles, Hopital Henri Mondor, 51 Avenue de Lattre de Tassigny, 94010, Creteil, France.
Clin Neurophysiol. 2001 Mar;112(3):472-6. doi: 10.1016/s1388-2457(01)00464-3.
The measurement of the pudendal nerve terminal motor latency (PNTML) is used to assess anal sphincter innervation. In healthy subjects, we studied the influence of age on PNTML and the advantage of a new intra-rectal stimulator.
PNTML was determined in a first series of 40 normal subjects, aged 21-75 years, using a standard St. Mark's electrode, and in a second series of 20 normal subjects over 50 years, using a new intra-rectal monopolar stimulator that did not require finger insertion through the anal canal.
In the first series, PNTML ranged from 1.8 to 5.6 ms (mean+/-SD 2.94+/-0.8 ms) and correlated positively with the age of the subjects (P=0.01, Spearman test). In the second series, PNTML ranged from 2.2 to 5.4 ms (3.7+/-0.9 ms) and was similar to that of the subjects over 50 years of the first series (3.5+/-0.4 ms) (P=0.35, Mann-Whitney U test).
This study showed significant effects of age on PNTML. This should encourage every examiner to establish age-stratified reference values of PNTML for older age groups. In addition, we showed the advantage of using a new type of intra-rectal stimulator to reduce the patient's discomfort by avoiding finger insertion to stimulate the pudendal nerve.
阴部神经终末运动潜伏期（PNTML）的测量用于评估肛门括约肌的神经支配情况。在健康受试者中，我们研究了年龄对PNTML的影响以及一种新型直肠内刺激器的优势。
第一组40名年龄在21 - 75岁的正常受试者，使用标准的圣马克电极测定PNTML；第二组20名年龄超过50岁的正常受试者，使用一种新型直肠内单极刺激器，该刺激器无需手指经肛管插入来测定PNTML。
在第一组中，PNTML范围为1.8至5.6毫秒（均值±标准差2.94±0.8毫秒），且与受试者年龄呈正相关（P = 0.01，Spearman检验）。在第二组中，PNTML范围为2.2至5.4毫秒（3.7±0.9毫秒），与第一组中超过50岁受试者的PNTML（3.5±0.4毫秒）相似（P = 0.35，Mann-Whitney U检验）。
本研究表明年龄对PNTML有显著影响。这应促使每位检查者为老年人群建立按年龄分层的PNTML参考值。此外，我们展示了使用新型直肠内刺激器的优势，即通过避免手指插入来刺激阴部神经，从而减轻患者的不适。
