Nocturnal enuresis and the pontine reticular formation.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the previously proposed hypothesis that enuretic patients have a dysfunction in the pontine reticular formation.


METHODS
In 18 patients with intractable nocturnal enuresis, rapid eye movement (REM)-related phasic chin muscle activity loss in REM sleep was examined by means of a single-night polysomnography.


RESULTS
In 5 of 18 patients, this physiologically seen phenomenon was found to be disturbed.


CONCLUSIONS
Since REM-related phasic chin muscle activity loss is disturbed by the functional impairment in the pontine reticular formation, some enuretic patients could be considered as presenting a dysfunction in this structure.
Kohyama
J
J
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan. jkohyama.ped@med.tmd.ac.jp
Kumada
S
S
Shimohira
M
M
Araki
S
S
Itoh
M
M
Iwakawa
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004775:Enuresis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography; D011149:Pons / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012154:Reticular Formation / Q000503:physiopathology*