What's Happening in the Brain
Urine Urine
Liquid waste product that is produced by the kidney and released from the body's bladder.
is stored in the bladder until it is emptied by urination (voiding, peeing). The bladder slowly fills, and when it is full, this is sensed by nerves in the bladder. These nerves send signals to other nerves in the spinal cord Spinal cord
Runs from the base of the skull down the back. It is a part of the central nervous system and is responsible for the quick response time of a reflex., which in turn transmit a signal back to muscles in the bladder. This is a reflex arc, meaning that information (e.g. a full bladder), is sensed and a motor activity (e.g. bladder contraction to empty the bladder) results.
Each of us, as babies, had to learn to inhibit this spinal reflex. The process required us first to recognize the need to urinate, and then to learn to control it for long enough to get to a toilet. In Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease
A neurological disease that affects memory and behaviour. It is characterized by beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. There is no known cause but genetics and lifestyle are thought to play a role., this learning is lost as the disease progresses, due to disruption of the pathways where learning is stored. Relearning is tricky, especially if the incontinence Incontinence
Loss of bladder or bowel control. has occurred while the person was being treated for Alzheimer's disease. Just as a person can have urinary incontinence, they can also have bowel incontinence. This is usually a late sign of Alzheimer's disease.
