Is the Brainstem Activation Different Between Healthy Young Male and Female Volunteers at Initiation of Voiding? A High Definition 7-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study
Purpose Assessing brainstem function in humans through typical neuroimaging modalities has been challenging. Our objective was to evaluate brain and brainstem activation patterns during initiation of voiding in healthy males and females utilizing a 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner an...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Korean Continence Society
2023-09-01
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| Series: | International Neurourology Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://einj.org/upload/pdf/inj-2346104-052.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797666612172554240 |
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| author | Bradley Schott Darshil Choksi Khue Tran Christof Karmonik Betsy Salazar Timothy Boone Rose Khavari |
| author_facet | Bradley Schott Darshil Choksi Khue Tran Christof Karmonik Betsy Salazar Timothy Boone Rose Khavari |
| author_sort | Bradley Schott |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose Assessing brainstem function in humans through typical neuroimaging modalities has been challenging. Our objective was to evaluate brain and brainstem activation patterns during initiation of voiding in healthy males and females utilizing a 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner and a noninvasive brain-bladder functional MRI (fMRI) protocol. Methods Twenty healthy adult volunteers (10 males and 10 females) with no history of urinary symptoms were recruited. Each volunteer underwent a clinic uroflow and postvoid residual assessment and was asked to consume water prior to entering the scanner. Anatomical and diffusion tensor images were obtained first, followed by a blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) during the empty bladder. Subjects indicated when they felt the urge to void, and a full bladder rs-fMRI was obtained. Once completed, the subjects began 5 voiding cycles, where the first 7.5 seconds of each voiding cycle was identified as “initiation of voiding.” BOLD activation maps were generated, and regions of interests with a t-value greater than 2.1 were deemed statistically significant. Results We present 5 distinct regions within the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and pontine micturition center (PMC) with statistically significant activation associated with an initiation of voiding in both men and women, 3 within the PAG and 2 within the PMC. Several additional areas in the brain also demonstrated activation as well. When comparing males to females, there was an overall lower BOLD activation seen in females throughout all regions, with the exception of the caudate lobe. Conclusions Our study effectively defines regions within the PAG and PMC involved in initiation of voiding in healthy volunteers. To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating differences between male and female brainstem activation utilizing an ultra-high definition 7T MRI. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T20:01:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e4e5983c3ce246d595aa8da8861e5393 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2093-4777 2093-6931 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T20:01:56Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Korean Continence Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Neurourology Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-e4e5983c3ce246d595aa8da8861e53932023-10-04T08:28:57ZengKorean Continence SocietyInternational Neurourology Journal2093-47772093-69312023-09-0127317418110.5213/inj.2346104.0521069Is the Brainstem Activation Different Between Healthy Young Male and Female Volunteers at Initiation of Voiding? A High Definition 7-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging StudyBradley Schott0Darshil Choksi1Khue Tran2Christof Karmonik3Betsy Salazar4Timothy Boone5Rose Khavari6 Interdisciplinary College of Engineering Medicine, Texas A&M, Houston, TX, USA Interdisciplinary College of Engineering Medicine, Texas A&M, Houston, TX, USA Interdisciplinary College of Engineering Medicine, Texas A&M, Houston, TX, USA MRI Core, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA Department of Urology, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA Department of Urology, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA Department of Urology, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USAPurpose Assessing brainstem function in humans through typical neuroimaging modalities has been challenging. Our objective was to evaluate brain and brainstem activation patterns during initiation of voiding in healthy males and females utilizing a 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner and a noninvasive brain-bladder functional MRI (fMRI) protocol. Methods Twenty healthy adult volunteers (10 males and 10 females) with no history of urinary symptoms were recruited. Each volunteer underwent a clinic uroflow and postvoid residual assessment and was asked to consume water prior to entering the scanner. Anatomical and diffusion tensor images were obtained first, followed by a blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) during the empty bladder. Subjects indicated when they felt the urge to void, and a full bladder rs-fMRI was obtained. Once completed, the subjects began 5 voiding cycles, where the first 7.5 seconds of each voiding cycle was identified as “initiation of voiding.” BOLD activation maps were generated, and regions of interests with a t-value greater than 2.1 were deemed statistically significant. Results We present 5 distinct regions within the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and pontine micturition center (PMC) with statistically significant activation associated with an initiation of voiding in both men and women, 3 within the PAG and 2 within the PMC. Several additional areas in the brain also demonstrated activation as well. When comparing males to females, there was an overall lower BOLD activation seen in females throughout all regions, with the exception of the caudate lobe. Conclusions Our study effectively defines regions within the PAG and PMC involved in initiation of voiding in healthy volunteers. To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating differences between male and female brainstem activation utilizing an ultra-high definition 7T MRI.http://einj.org/upload/pdf/inj-2346104-052.pdfneurourologymagnetic resonance imagingvoidingmicturitionbrainstemcontinence |
| spellingShingle | Bradley Schott Darshil Choksi Khue Tran Christof Karmonik Betsy Salazar Timothy Boone Rose Khavari Is the Brainstem Activation Different Between Healthy Young Male and Female Volunteers at Initiation of Voiding? A High Definition 7-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study International Neurourology Journal neurourology magnetic resonance imaging voiding micturition brainstem continence |
| title | Is the Brainstem Activation Different Between Healthy Young Male and Female Volunteers at Initiation of Voiding? A High Definition 7-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study |
| title_full | Is the Brainstem Activation Different Between Healthy Young Male and Female Volunteers at Initiation of Voiding? A High Definition 7-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study |
| title_fullStr | Is the Brainstem Activation Different Between Healthy Young Male and Female Volunteers at Initiation of Voiding? A High Definition 7-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Is the Brainstem Activation Different Between Healthy Young Male and Female Volunteers at Initiation of Voiding? A High Definition 7-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study |
| title_short | Is the Brainstem Activation Different Between Healthy Young Male and Female Volunteers at Initiation of Voiding? A High Definition 7-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study |
| title_sort | is the brainstem activation different between healthy young male and female volunteers at initiation of voiding a high definition 7 tesla magnetic resonance imaging study |
| topic | neurourology magnetic resonance imaging voiding micturition brainstem continence |
| url | http://einj.org/upload/pdf/inj-2346104-052.pdf |
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