ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF THE URINARY BLADDER

II. A BASIC EXPERIMENT ON ELECTRODES

Abstract

In the electrical stimulation of the bladder, the stimulating current is transmitted to the surrounding tissue especially to the urethral sphincter, and the increased resistance of the urethra reduced sufficient urination. In the present study, the number of electrodes was increased to 3 or 4. They were buried in respective positions of the bladder wall to stimulate the bladder. The intravesical pressure was then recorded to register the state of urination.
1. The conventional method in which 2 electrodes were buried near the bilateral urethral orifices caused a rapid elavation of intravesical pressure but the urination suddently stopped.
2. When one cathode and 2 anodes were buried in the posterior wall of the bladder, positive effect was obtained when these were placed in the longitudinal axis.
3. The condition for best electrical stimulation was 10V, for 3-msec, when 2 cathodes and 2 anodes or 1 cathode and 3 anodes were buried into the bladder wall. Stimulation over a period of 1-2 cosec was scarcely effective. Under such instance, intravesical pressure and curve for urination continued to rise mildly.