Lesions of the medial frontal micturition center can result in the activation of the pontine and spinal micturition centers when the bladder is full, causing urinary incontinence. Recognition of acute bladder incontinence as part of a cortical hemispheric stroke syndrome may reduce the likelihood of false localization to the spinal cord in patients with acute ischemic stroke eligible for acute reperfusion therapy. We describe a case of urinary incontinence due to anterior cerebral artery infarction and discuss the cortical localization of voluntary bladder control to the anterior cingulate gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus.
BlokBFWillemsenATHolstegeG. A PET study on brain control of micturition in humans. Brain. 1997;120
(
pt 1
):111–121.
5.
NourSSvarerCKristensenJKPaulsonOBLawI. Cerebral activation during micturition in normal men. Brain. 2000;123
(
pt 4
):781–789.
6.
AthwalBSBerkleyKJHussainI. Brain responses to changes in bladder volume and urge to void in healthy men. Brain. 2001;124
(
pt 2
):369–377.
7.
ZhangHReitzAKolliasSSummersPCurtASchurchB. An fMRI study of the role of suprapontine brain structures in the voluntary voiding control induced by pelvic floor contraction. Neuroimage. 2005;24
(
1
):174–180.
8.
Kuhtz-BuschbeckJPvan der HorstCPottC. Cortical representation of the urge to void: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. J Urol. 2005;174(4 pt 1):1477–1481.
9.
FowlerCJ. Neurological disorders of micturition and their treatment. Brain. 1999;122(pt 7):1213–1231.
