Bedwetting children show impaired brain function

Children that suffer from bedwetting, also known as primary nocturnal enuresis, suffer from impaired brain function, sleep arousal disturbance and bladder dysfunction according to new results reported by the International Children's Continence Society.

According to the ICCS, over a nine-year period, three studies involving 264 children from Hong Kong compared bedwetting and non-bedwetting children to assess differences in sleep quality, central nervous system functioning and cognitive performance. Bedwetting is traditionally associated with deep sleep, however, new research indicates otherwise. In the first study, sleep patterns of bedwetting children were compared with non-bedwetters. The researchers found that deep sleep occurred significantly less (p<0.05) and light sleep occurred more with bedwetting children (p<0.01).

A second study investigated whether 52 bedwetting children suffered impairments in their CNS functioning. Tests were conducted on the children's brainstem function, or prepulse inhibition of startle reflex (a reflex reaction to a stronger stimulus - urge to urinate - is held back by a weaker stimulus brain signalling the bladder not to empty). Results showed bedwetting children have significantly-impaired brainstem functions as indicated by an impairment of PPI reflex (<0.005) when compared with non-bedwetting children.