| Sumario: | Objective: Primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) is a developmental disorder. It is characterized by involuntary micturating over 5 years of age. The main etiopathogenetic causes are genetic and physiologic factors, sleep abnormalities, autonomic nervous system dysfunction and developmental delay. PNE was reported to be related to functional immaturity of the central nervous system. The control centers for bladder function and micturation are localized at pons. However, studies investigating the pons regarding this function are few. In this study, brainstem functions were evaluated with brainstem auditory-evoked potential (BAEP) in children with PNE. Material and Methods: Forty children [18 girls and 22 boys; mean age 7.8±2.9 years (range 5.5-10.5)] with PNE (Group I) and 40 healthy children [18 girls, 22 boys, mean age 7.5±3.2 years (range 5.5-10)] (Group II), were enrolled in this study. The cases with mental retardation, neurological disorders, metabolic diseases, psychiatric abnormality (attention deficit/hyperactivity syndrome), and urinary tract disorders were excluded. Results: Though statistically insignificant, the peak and interpeak latency values in Group I were longer than in Group II. Conclusion: PNE is a common entity of childhood with an incompletely defined pathogenesis. Maturational delay of the central nervous system has recently been noticed in the etiology. However, due to the controversial results, we suggest that further studies with larger sample sizes and new methods are required.
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