Control of bladder sensations: an fMRI study of brain activity and effective connectivity.

摘要: When the bladder is fairly full, desire to void can be suppressed, but it also called forth deliberately. We studied brain activity during such intentional modulations of sensation in 33 healthy volunteers (17 women, 16 men). The supplementary motor area, midcingulate cortex, insula, frontal operculum, and right prefrontal cortex were consistently more active when was enhanced without allowing urine pass ("attempted micturition") than a baseline task sensations suppressed. anterior insula midbrain periaquaeductal grey (PAG) at higher lower volumes. Responses thalamus several other right-hemispherical regions stronger women men. Using psychophysiological interaction (PPI) method, we found that had connectivity (indicated by parallel co-variations activation time series) with PAG medial areas "attempted micturition" task, possibly reflecting monitoring urethral sphincter contractions. Conversely, left showed decreased many micturition", due predominant processing bladder-afferent input. Intentional change effective supraspinal involved control.