Carl S. Smith, Principal Investigator

Dynamics of Urethral Sphincter Activity

Dynamical analysis is a mathematical tool that provides a powerful alternative to traditional biologic signal processing. Traditional approaches quantify and characterize signals by parameters such as frequency, amplitude, and waveform in an effort to discover the underlying relationships within the system under study. A dynamical approach utilizes the same time-dependent information, but constructs a visual picture—an attractor—of the nature of interaction found with the system that generated the signal. This is an extraordinary, unexpected result in dynamical analysis—that is, for the first time we have a technique allowing a glimpse at the richness of structures that create the biologic signal. Further, despite the apparent system complexity, a dynamical analysis can reveal a series of simple rules that govern the system’s behavior.

This study examines the electromyographic (EMG) signal present in the urethral striated muscle during bladder function.