Human Brain Region Response to Distention or Cold Stimulation of the Bladder: A Positron Emission Tomography Study

Abstract

Our data show that the brainstem as well as more rostral regions are involved in voluntary urine storage and these regions are functionally separated from those associated with bladder cold perception in healthy individuals.

Pharmacology of the Lower Urinary Tract: Basis for Current and Future Treatments of Urinary Incontinence

“…Thus, even if the forebrain is not essential for the basic micturition reflex, it plays a role in making the decision when and where micturition should take place (Blok and Holstege, 1999b). Recent positron emission tomography studies have given information on the brain structures involved in urine storage and voiding (Blok et al, 1997b;Nour et al, 2000;Athwal et al, 2001;Matsuura et al, 2002).…”

Role of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in the Control of Micturition Reflex in a Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease

“…The midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) integrates bladder sensory information with input from forebrain centers and then sends signals to the pontine micturition center (PMC), which sends efferent information back to the spinal cord to control storage and voiding of urine 1 .…”

Cerebral control of the bladder in normal and urge-incontinent women

“…Bladder control is exercised by the brain via a long-loop spinobulbospinal reflex pathway that includes the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) and the pontine micturition center (PMC), which in turn are controlled by a supratentorial network. The main network landmarks are known from animal and clinical observations, and from functional imaging by positron emission tomography (PET) (Athwal et al, 2001;Blok et al, 1997b;Kitta et al, 2006;Matsuura et al, 2002;Nour et al, 2000) or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) (Di Gangi Herms et al, 2006;Griffiths et al, 2005;KuhtzBuschbeck et al, 2005;Seseke et al, 2006;Zhang et al, 2005).…”