Neuromodulation of the neural circuits controlling the lower urinary tract

This study investigates how stimulating the spinal cord and peripheral nerves can help control bladder function, particularly after a spinal cord injury. The research builds on previous findings that spinal cord stimulation can aid in recovering movement and enabling voiding. The experiments show that electrical signals in leg muscles and the urethral sphincter change depending on whether the rat is walking, about to urinate, or urinating. This suggests a close connection between the nerves controlling movement and bladder function. The study also found that stimulating the spinal cord at different frequencies and stimulating peripheral nerves can both affect bladder control. Understanding these interactions could lead to better treatments for bladder dysfunction by combining different nerve stimulation strategies.

• 1
  Electrically evoked potentials in hindlimb muscles and the external urethral sphincter are modulated uniquely depending on the rat's activity: stepping, pre-voiding, or voiding.
• 2
  Spinal cord stimulation can effectively neuromodulate the lower urinary tract via frequency-dependent stimulation patterns.
• 3
  Peripheral nerve stimulation can activate the external urethral sphincter both directly and via relays in the spinal cord.