A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effects of Electromyographic Biofeedback on Quality of Life and Bowel Symptoms in Elderly Women With Dyssynergic Defecation

Miguel A. Simón, Ana M. Bueno, Patricia Otero, Fernando L. Vázquez and Vanessa Blanco
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Miguel A. Simón: Health Psychology Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of A Coruña, 15071 A Coruña, Spain
Ana M. Bueno: Health Psychology Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of A Coruña, 15071 A Coruña, Spain
Patricia Otero: Health Psychology Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of A Coruña, 15071 A Coruña, Spain
Fernando L. Vázquez: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Vanessa Blanco: Department of Evolutionary and Educational Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 18, 1-8

Abstract: Dyssynergic defecation is a usual cause of chronic constipation in elderly women, with a negative impact on health-related quality of life. The present randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of behavioral treatment through electromyographic biofeedback (EMG-BF) on quality of life and bowel symptoms in elderly women with dyssynergic defecation. Twenty chronically constipated elderly women, due to dyssynergic defecation, were enrolled in the study. Outcome measures included weekly stool frequency, anismus index, severity of patient-reported chronic constipation symptoms (abdominal, rectal, and stool symptoms), and overall measure of quality of life. After 1 month of baseline, participants were randomly assigned to either EMG-BF group ( n = 10) or control group ( n = 10). Three months after treatment, female patients were once again assessed following the same procedure in baseline. One-way multivariate analysis of variance MANOVA revealed no significant differences between the groups before treatment in any of the measured dependent variables (Wilks’s ? = 0.74; F 6,13 = 0.77; p = 0.61). Likewise, univariate analysis showed no differences between the groups, either in terms of age (F 1,18 = 0.96; p = 0.34) or mean disease duration (F 1,18 = 2.99; p = 0.11). Three months after treatment, MANOVA revealed statistically significant differences between the groups (Wilks’s ? = 0.29; F 6,13 = 5.19; p < 0.01). These differences were significant in all outcome measures. EMG-BF produces significant improvements in bowel symptoms and health-related quality of life of elderly women with dyssynergic defecation.

Keywords: behavioral treatment; chronic constipation; dyssynergic defecation; EMG-biofeedback (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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