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A urethral afferent mediated excitatory bladder reflex exists in humans
Kenneth J Gustafson1, Graham H Creasey, Warren M Grill
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Wickenden Bldg, Room 108, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-4912, USA. kjg@cwru.edu
Neuroscience Letters
|April 15, 2004
Summary
Researchers found a volume-dependent excitatory bladder reflex in men with spinal cord injuries. Electrical stimulation of the urethra triggered bladder contractions, confirming a reflex pathway involving the spinal cord.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Urology
Background:
- An excitatory reflex between urethral flow receptors and the bladder is known in animals.
- Previous human studies using urethral fluid flow have yielded inconclusive results regarding this reflex.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence of an excitatory urethra-to-bladder reflex in humans.
- To determine if intraurethral electrical stimulation can elicit bladder contractions in individuals with spinal cord injury.
Main Methods:
- Electrical stimulation of the prostatic urethra was performed using a catheter-based electrode.
- The study included five men with complete spinal cord injury.
- Bladder contractions were monitored in response to stimulation at varying bladder volumes.
Main Results:
- Bladder contractions were successfully generated in four out of five participants.
- The excitatory reflex was observed to be volume-dependent, occurring only at sufficient bladder volumes.
- This indicates a functional reflex pathway mediated by urethral afferent nerve fibers.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates a volume-dependent excitatory bladder reflex in humans with spinal cord injury.
- This reflex is mediated by urethral afferent nerve fibers and the lumbosacral spinal cord.
- Intraurethral electrical stimulation is a viable method for studying this reflex in humans.