What is referred to as an upper motor neuron bladder?

An upper motor neuron bladder refers to a type of bladder dysfunction that occurs due to damage to the spinal cord at levels cranial to the sacral segments. In this scenario, the pathways that control the bladder, which include sensory and motor innervation from higher brain centers to the spinal cord and then to the bladder, are disrupted. This disconnection leads to the characteristic features of an upper motor neuron bladder, which include involuntary bladder contractions, increased tone, and a lack of voluntary control, resulting in symptoms such as urgency and increased frequency of urination.

In contrast, other options do not correctly describe the condition. Increased urination frequency due to nerve damage might suggest a lower motor neuron issue or different conditions affecting bladder function. Direct bladder nerve innervation implies a different mechanism of control that does not define upper motor neuron bladder specifically. Urinary retention connected with lower motor neuron injury indicates nerve damage in the peripheral nervous system rather than the spinal cord, and thus it doesn't align with the upper motor neuron bladder concept.