The anorectal defaecation reflex: a prospective intervention study.
Sanne J VerkuijlMonika TrzpisPaul M A BroensPublished in: Colorectal disease : the official journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (2022)
All healthy study participants display an involuntary, reproducible rectal reflex contraction that appears to be innervated by afferent nerves in the proximal anal canal. The rectal reflex contraction appears to play a role in defaecation and we therefore refer to this phenomenon as the anorectal defaecation reflex. Knowledge of the anorectal defaecation reflex may have consequences for the diagnostics and treatment of constipation.