The Bladder, the Rectum and the Sphincters: Neural Pathways and Peripheral Control

Until the 1980s, the knowledge concerning the relationships between the bladder and intestinal functions and brain control was scarce and the same was as regards the control of the voluntary control of pelvic floor muscles. Functional imaging studies have allowed us to highlight the relationship between function and brain activity, but the complex relationships that govern micturition and defecation are still to be fully clarified.