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pontine micturition center; Barrington's nucleus
Function:
- role in regulation of micturition
- when activated, relaxes the urethral sphincter to allow micturition (urination)
- coordinates with centers in the medial frontal cortex, insular cortex, hypothalamus & periaqueductal gray
- stimulates parasympathetic outflow to the bladder
- inhibits of sympathetic outflow to the bladder
- inhibits somatic activation of external urethral sphincter
Structure:
- collection of cell bodies in the rostral pons
Afferents:
- ascending input from the lumbosacral spinal cord
Efferents:
- descending excitatory projections to
- spinal parasympathetic preganglionic neurons innervating the bladder
- inhibitory interneurons regulating Onuf's nucleus
Pathology:
- Parkinson's disease may result in loss of inhibitory inputs to the pontine micturition center
Related
micturition (urination)
General
pontine nucleus/gray matter
References
- Wikipedia: Pontine micturition center
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontine_micturition_center
- Geriatric Review Syllabus, 8th edition (GRS8)
Durso SC and Sullivan GN (eds)
American Geriatrics Society, 2013