The influence of modelled feedback loops on simulated lower urinary tract behaviour

The exact mechanism of the neural control of the lower urinary tract is not known. To test the feasibility of describing such a mechanism, a model was constructed. The model is as much as possible based on knowledge and hypotheses taken from the literature. The main assumptions in modelling neural control are: 1. The preoptic area and the periaqueductal gray are both involved in the control of the lower urinary tract and 2. One afferent signal from the urethra and two afferent signals from the detrusor serve as input to the neural control. With this model lower urinary tract behaviour was simulated. To study the effect of neural control on behaviour, the contribution of the feedback loops that are used in the authors´ model was varied. Because the simulated behaviour for different settings of the feedback loops is comparable to pathological behaviour as seen in vivo, the feedback loops that are used in the model might resemble feedback loops in vivo