ArticleInternational neurourology journal2023
Is the Brainstem Activation Different Between Healthy Young Male and Female Volunteers at Initiation of Voiding? A High Definition 7-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.
Article in International neurourology journal, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- The cerebro-pelvic axis: a unified framework linking higher brain function, pelvic floor control, and lower urinary tract dysfunction.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Article
- A deeper exploration of functional connectivity of brain regions regulating bladder function in healthy adults.Continence (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2025Article
- VOXEL-TO-BLADDER FULLNESS SENSATION.Proceedings of the ... Design of Medical Devices Conference. Design of Medical Devices Conference · 2025Article
- Stress, Anxiety, and Urine: The Evolutionary Tactics to Survival and How We Became Anxious in Public Restrooms.International neurourology journal · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
purposeAssessing brainstem function in humans through typical neuroimaging modalities has been challenging. Our objective was to evaluate brain and brainstem activation patterns during initiation of voiding in healthy males and females utilizing a 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner and a noninvasive brain-bladder functional MRI (fMRI) protocol.
methodsTwenty healthy adult volunteers (10 males and 10 females) with no history of urinary symptoms were recruited. Each volunteer underwent a clinic uroflow and postvoid residual assessment and was asked to consume water prior to entering the scanner. Anatomical and diffusion tensor images were obtained first, followed by a blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) during the empty bladder. Subjects indicated when they felt the urge to void, and a full bladder rs-fMRI was obtained. Once completed, the subjects began 5 voiding cycles, where the first 7.5 seconds of each voiding cycle was identified as "initiation of voiding." BOLD activation maps were generated, and regions of interests with a t-value greater than 2.1 were deemed statistically significant.
resultsWe present 5 distinct regions within the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and pontine micturition center (PMC) with statistically significant activation associated with an initiation of voiding in both men and women, 3 within the PAG and 2 within the PMC. Several additional areas in the brain also demonstrated activation as well. When comparing males to females, there was an overall lower BOLD activation seen in females throughout all regions, with the exception of the caudate lobe.
conclusionOur study effectively defines regions within the PAG and PMC involved in initiation of voiding in healthy volunteers. To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating differences between male and female brainstem activation utilizing an ultra-high definition 7T MRI.
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