Abstract
Storage and voiding functions are regulated by a neural control at different levels including the forebrain, brain stem, and spinal cord organized as a hierarchical system. During storage phase, detrusor pressure remains low with no large phasic contractions and overall high compliance. The voiding phase is characterized by an adequate flow, generated by an increase in pressure of suitable amplitude. What is normal voiding pressure and flow rate for men is not necessarily normal for women, since the voiding dynamics of women are different from those of men. Most women void by pelvic floor relaxation rather than by detrusor contraction. In addition abdominal straining during voiding is quite common among females. Interestingly, despite these behavior differences in micturition mechanisms, no significant differences in brain activation patterns between females and males have been reported.
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Neural Control of Micturition
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Vignoli, G. (2018). Physiology of Micturition in Female. In: Urodynamics for Urogynecologists. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74005-8_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74005-8_1
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