Cortical processing of residual ano-rectal sensation in patients with spinal cord injury: an fMRI study.

Eleven paraplegic patients with complete traumatic spinal cord injuries (SCI) [according to American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) criteria] at different levels (Th3-L3) were investigated during non-painful stimulation of the distal rectum and anal canal, using event related functional magnetic resonance imaging. Although a complete lesion was clinically diagnosed in all, four of them experienced reproducible sensations during anal and/or rectal stimulation. In six patients, individual data analysis revealed significant activation in the right secondary somatosensory cortex SII, the posterior cingular gyrus, the prefrontal cortex, and the left posterior cerebellar lobe during either anal or rectal stimulation or both.