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Background and Objectives: Overactive bladder and its hallmark symptom, urgency, are thought to be multifactorial in pathogenesis. Smoking is a particularly important risk factor to understand because it is modifiable; studies evaluating an association between smoking and urgency have been inconclusive. We therefore sought to rigorously assess the relationship between smoking and urgency in terms of both a temporal and quantitative pack year history of smoking while controlling for other possible confounding factors., Methods: Community-based adult women were recruited using the ResearchMatch website to participate in an online survey of bladder health which included questions to assess urgency symptoms, medical comorbidities, and detailed smoking history. Smoking history was studied as the independent variable in three different formulations: smoking status (never vs. former vs. current), continuous pack year history, and categorical pack year history. The outcomes studied included urgency (any urgency in the past 7 days), moderate urgency (urgency at least half the time), and urgency urinary incontinence (UUI). Chi-square tests were performed to detect associations between smoking and these outcomes, and multivariate regression was then performed to control for possible confounders and to help determine the comparative influence of temporality versus quantity of smoking history., Results: In 1720 women who completed the questionnaire, current smoking status was associated with a 23% increase in the risk of experiencing urgency (RR 1.23) and a 78% increase in the risk of experiencing moderate urgency (RR 1.78) relative to never smokers. The risk of experiencing UUI was 40% higher (RR 1.40). Lifetime pack year history was also significantly associated with urgency outcomes, although only in smokers/former smokers who had a 20+ pack year history (RR 1.15, 1.60, and 1.25 for urgency, moderate urgency, and UUI, respectively). The presence of former smoking history was not significantly associated with urgency outcomes, even when controlling for cumulative pack years., Conclusions: This analysis of a large cross-sectional database of women suggests a strong, consistent link between current smoking status and urinary urgency and UUI. By contrast, no increased risk of urgency was attributed to former smoking status. Analysis of pack year history suggests a dose-response relationship wherein ≥ 20 pack years was significantly associated with a higher risk of all urgency outcomes. In models controlling for pack year history, the association of current smoking with urgency remained significant and former smoking remained nonsignificant. Taken together, this supports greater attention being given to the contribution of current smoking to urgency symptoms, and to the need for further longitudinal work to determine if smoking cessation can be a strategy to treat urgency., (© 2024 The Author(s). Neurourology and Urodynamics published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Importance: Many women report inadequate symptom control after sacral neuromodulation (SNM), despite 50% reduction in urgency incontinence episodes (UUIE) after test stimulation., Objective: To determine the ideal percent UUIE reduction after test stimulation that predicts 24-month success., Study Design: Using data from a multicenter SNM trial, we constructed receiver operating characteristic curves to identify an ideal threshold of percent UUIE reduction after test stimulation. We defined 24-month success as Patient Global Impression of Improvement of "very much better" to "better." We compared predictive accuracy of two models predicting success: (1) percent UUIE reduction alone and (2) with baseline characteristics., Results: Of 149 women (median [IQR] baseline daily UUIE 4.7 [3.7, 6.0]), the ideal threshold for 24-month success was 72% (95% confidence interval 64,76%) UUIE reduction with accuracy 0.54 (0.42, 0.66), sensitivity 0.71 (0.56, 0.86) and specificity 0.27 (0.05, 0.55). The accuracy of the 50% reduction threshold was 0.60 (0.49, 0.71), sensitivity 0.95 (0.88, 1.0) and specificity 0.04 (0.0, 0.12). Percent reduction in UUIE was not better than chance in predicting 24-month success (concordance index [c-index] 0.47 [0.46, 0.62]); adding age, body mass index, diabetes mellitus and visual or hearing impairment the c-index was 0.68 (0.61, 0.78)., Conclusions: Among women who received an internal pulse generator (IPG) due to ≥50% UUIE reduction after test stimulation, we found no ideal threshold that better predicted 24-month success. Percent reduction in UUIE after test stimulation poorly predicts 24-month success with or without clinical factors. Given this, re-evaluating how we determine who should receive an IPG is needed., (© 2024 The Author(s). Neurourology and Urodynamics published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Aims: The Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN) is undertaking a new cohort study in LURN II including cases and controls., Methods: This new cohort was enrolled to specifically study urinary urgency and urgency urinary incontinence, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) that are often difficult to treat due to a lack of understanding of their phenotypes and pathophysiologies., Results: This paper will focus on the motivation for the second iteration of LURN and highlight the new research techniques and plans for more thorough phenotyping of this population., Conclusions: This paper will outline the gaps in understanding in treating LUTSs, specifically urinary urgency., (© 2024 The Author(s). Neurourology and Urodynamics published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objectives: To evaluate whether peri-operative changes in voiding function, pelvic organ descent and urethral mobility predict improvement in urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) following prolapse surgery., Methods: A retrospective study of women undergoing prolapse surgery without a history of or without a concomitant anti-incontinence surgery at a tertiary unit between 2005 and 2019. All patients underwent a pre- and post-operative standardised interview, POP-Q examination, uroflowmetry and 4D translabial ultrasound. Post processing of ultrasound volume data was performed to assess pelvic organ descent and functional urethral anatomy., Results: The datasets of 123 women were analysed. Mean follow-up was 5.5 months (SD 3.2). Mean age was 61 years (SD 11.7). UUI was reported by 68 before and 44 after operation (p = 0.001 for the reduction). Among those with pre-operative UUI, 34 reported cure of UUI, 20 improvement, 9 no change and 5 worsened UUI after their operation. De novo UUI was reported in 11. Fifty-seven women reported voiding dysfunction before and 32 after operation (p = 0.09 for the reduction). Abnormal uroflowmetry was noted in 63 women before and 37 after operation (p = 0.003 for change). On binary logistic regression, improved/cured UUI was associated with improved subjective voiding function (p = 0.003) and reduced residual urine volume (p = 0.02), but not with peri-operative changes in pelvic organ descent or functional urethral anatomy., Conclusion: Prolapse surgery resulted in short- to medium- term improvement in UUI. This was associated with subjective improvement in voiding function and with a reduction in post-void residual urine volume., Summary: Prolapse surgery was associated with improvement in UUI which in turn was associated with subjectively improved voiding and reduced residual urine volume., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Victoria A. Buckley: None. Ka Lai Shek: None. Hans Peter Dietz: Travel support and Consultancy payments from Materna Medical, GE Medical and Mindray., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Muscle mechanical properties (MMPs) are relevant in the pathophysiology of lumbopelvic disorders. However, they have not been described in the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) and lumbar paravertebral muscles (LPM) of women with urge urinary incontinence (UUI)., Objective: To identify differences between MMPs of PFM and LPM in patients with UUI and healthy controls. Secondarily also aimed to observe the relationship between sociodemographic and clinical variables with the PFM and LPM MMPs., Methods: The participants of this case-control study comprised 34 women with UUI (UUI group) and 34 continent women (control group). Sociodemographic variables were obtained together with data on the clinical status of the pelvic floor. The MMPs, i.e., frequency (tone), stiffness, decrement (inverse of elasticity), and viscoelastic properties (VP), such as relaxation time and creep, of PFM and LPM were assessed with a hand-held tonometer. Between-group differences and intra-group correlations were identified., Results: The UUI group presented higher frequency and stiffness, as well as lower relaxation time in PFM, whereas the LPM had lower tone and stiffness, and higher VP, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The UUI group showed a pattern of moderate correlations (|0.403|

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the association between diarrhea or constipation and urinary incontinence (UI) in adults., Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 2009-2010 was used to include 4686 adults aged 20 and over in the analysis. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) were used as outcome variables, with diarrhea and constipation as exposure factors. We first compared the baseline characteristics of those with and without SUI, as well as those with and without UUI. The impact of diarrhea or constipation on SUI and UUI was assessed using multivariate logistic regression models. To ensure the stability of the results, subgroup and stratified analyses were conducted., Results: The prevalence rates of UUI and SUI were 22.49% and 23.39%, respectively. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk of UUI was increased by either diarrhea (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.36-2.04) or constipation (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.11-1.83). The risk of SUI was also elevated by either diarrhea (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.11-1.67) or constipation (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.06-1.63). Subgroup analysis revealed no significant differences in the interaction tests between constipation or diarrhea and UI., Conclusions: This study found that both constipation and diarrhea increase the risk of UUI and SUI., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Overactive bladder (OAB) affects one in six adults in Europe and the United States and impairs the quality of life of millions of individuals worldwide. When conservative management fails, third-line treatments including tibial neuromodulation (TNM) is often pursued. TNM has traditionally been accomplished percutaneously in clinic., Objective: A minimally invasive implantable device activated by a battery-operated external wearable unit has been developed for the treatment of urgency urinary incontinence (UUI), mitigating the burden of frequent clinic visits and more invasive therapies that are currently commercially available., Methods: A prospective, multicenter, single-arm, open-label, pivotal study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of the device in adult females with UUI (i.e., wet OAB) (BlueWind Implantable Tibial Neuromodulation [iTNM] system; IDE number #G200013; NCT03596671). Results with the device were previously published under the name RENOVA iStim, which has been since renamed as the Revi™ System. Approximately 1-month post-implantation of the device, participants delivered therapy at their convenience and completed a 7-day voiding diary before visits 6- and 12-months post-treatment initiation. The primary efficacy and safety endpoints were the proportion of responders to therapy ( ≥ 50% improvement on average number of urgency-related incontinence episodes) and incidence of adverse events from implantation to 12-month post-activation., Results: A total of 151 participants, mean age 58.8 (SD: 12.5), were implanted; 144 and 140 completed the 6- and 12-month visits, respectively. The participants demonstrated mean baseline of 4.8 UUI/day (SD 2.9) and 10 voids/day (SD 3.3). Six and 12-months post-activation, 76.4% and 78.4% of participants, respectively, were responders to therapy in an intent-to-treat analysis. Of the 139 participants with completed 12-month diaries, 82% were responders, 50% were classified as "dry" (on at least 3 consecutive diary days), and 93.5% of participants reported that their symptoms improved. No implanted participant experienced an SAE related to the procedure or device., Conclusions: iTNM, delivered and powered by a patient-controlled external wearable communicating with an implant, demonstrated clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement in UUI symptoms and a high safety profile. This therapy highlights the value of patient-centric therapy for the treatment of UUI., (© 2024 The Authors. Neurourology and Urodynamics published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Purpose: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and overactive bladder (OAB) commonly affect the aging female population. We aimed to investigate the possible relationship between the two, as reflected by urodynamic studies., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on women who underwent urodynamic studies at a university-affiliated tertiary medical center from January 2018 to January 2021. Women presenting with urge incontinence and diagnosed with detrusor overactivity (DO) were included in the study. Based on the presence or absence of a modified POP-Q ≥ grade 2, these women were categorized into two groups. Data on general demographics, clinical symptoms, and urodynamic findings were extracted and compared using SPSS., Results: During the study period, 949 urodynamic evaluations were performed. Of these, 303 (31.92%) reported urge incontinence. Out of this subset, 151 (49.83%) were diagnosed with DO. Within this group, 18 (11.9%) had POP, while 134 (88.1%) did not. The POP group had a notably higher incidence of prior vaginal hysterectomy and anterior colporrhaphy (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, respectively). While most urodynamic parameters were similar between groups, there was a significant increase in hesitancy in the POP group (13 s vs 8 s, p = 0.03). There was a trend indicating a reduced median Q max (12 ml/s vs. 18 ml/s, p = 0.06) and an increased flow time (55 s vs 40 s, p = 0.08) in the POP group., Conclusion: The urodynamic profile of the POP group suggests an obstructive voiding pattern. Further longitudinal research is essential to fully understand the relationship between POP and OAB., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: To examine the impact of electroacupuncture (EA) at the 'four sacral points' on urge urinary incontinence (UUI)., Methods: Twenty-five patients diagnosed with UUI or urgency-predominant mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) were treated by EA at the 'four sacral points'. EA was performed in the sacrococcygeal region using disposable sterile 0.40-mm-diameter acupuncture needles that were either 100 or 125 mm in length. Treatments were delivered once every other day. Before and after treatment, a questionnaire measuring symptom severity and quality of life associated with UUI was administered., Results: The median total score (interquartile range) from the severity of symptoms and the quality of life questionnaire (Q-score) of the participants was significantly reduced from 12 (7.5, 15) before treatment to 3 (0, 6) after 6 (6, 12) EA treatments. The Q-score of urgency-predominant MUI and UUI was 8 (5, 14.5) and 12.5 (11, 15), respectively, before treatment; after treatment these were reduced to 2 (0, 7.5) and 4.5 (2, 6), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the Q-score between urgency-predominant MUI and UUI before and after treatment. Upon treatment completion, seven patients (28%) were 'cured' (improvement rate 100%). Treatments were considered 'markedly effective' (improvement rate 75% to <100%) in four patients (16%), 'effective' (improvement rate 50% to <75%) in eight patients (32%), 'minimally effective' (improvement rate 25% to <50%) in three patients (12%), and 'ineffective' (improvement rate <25%) in three patients (12%). The overall success rate (comprising 'cured', 'markedly effective' and 'effective' categories) was 76%, and no adverse effects associated with acupuncture treatment were reported., Conclusion: EA at the 'four sacral points' was associated with statistically significant improvements in UUI.

Purpose: To evaluate if question phrasing and patient numeracy impact estimation of urinary frequency., Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective study looking at reliability of a patient interview in assessing urinary frequency. Prior to completing a voiding diary, patients estimated daytime, and nighttime frequency in 3 ways: (1) how many times they urinated (2) how many hours they waited in between urinations (3) how many times they urinated over the course of 4 hours. Numeracy was assessed using the Lipkus Numeracy Scale., Results: Seventy-one patients completed the study. Correlation of estimates from questions 1, 2, and 3 to the diary were not statistically different. Prediction of nighttime frequency was better than daytime for all questions (correlation coefficients 0.751, 0.754, and 0.670 vs 0.596, 0.575, and 0.460). When compared to the diary, Question 1 underestimated (8.5 vs 9.7, P = .014) while Question 2 overestimated (11.8 vs 9.7, P = .027) recorded voids on a diary. All questions overpredicted nighttime frequency with 2.6, 2.9, and 3.9 predicted versus 1.6 recorded voids (P < .001). Although not statistically significant, for each question, the predicted frequency of numerate patients was more correlated to the diary than those of innumerate patients., Conclusion: When compared to a voiding diary for daytime urinary frequency, asking patients how many times they urinated underestimated, and asking patients how many hours they waited between urinations overestimated the number recorded voids. Regardless of phrasing, patients overestimated nighttime urination. Patients in our functional urology population have limited numeracy, which may impact accuracy of urinary frequency estimation., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the urodynamics (UDS) of patients with postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS)., Methods: Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of PoTS referred by the department of neuro-cardiology to the neuro-urology were identified and their UDS were retrospectively reviewed., Results: In total, 50 patients (47 = 94.0% female) with confirmed PoTS and available UDS were identified. Mean age of females and males was 32.4 and 28.2 years, P = .15. Intermittent self-catheterisation was being used by 15/47 (31.9%) females at assessment. Detrusor overactivity was observed in 6 females (12.8%) (all at end fill and associated with urgency). In total, 14 (29.8%) females had no sensation of filling. No patients had an "unsafe" bladder. In total, 15/47 (31.9%) of women were unable to void with UDS catheters. Straining was reported in 22/35 (68.8%) of females. The female bladder outflow obstruction index = P Det Q max - 2.2(Q max ) was over 5 in 10/28 (35.7%) and over 18 in 5 (17.9%). The bladder contractility index = P Det Q max  + 5Q max was under 100 in 18/28 (28.6%) women., Conclusion: The UDS of patients with "PoTS bladder" often demonstrate a poorly sensate but stable and safe bladder with functional obstruction and impaired bladder contractility that may necessitate straining or intermittent self-catheterisation., (Crown Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The aims of this study were to evaluate pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms one year after delivery and investigate whether adverse functional outcomes after childbirth were related to the degree of perineal injury. A prospective cohort of 776 primiparas were included. Self-reported pelvic floor function data were obtained using a web-based questionnaire. Women with no/first-degree injuries, second-degree injuries, third-/fourth-degree injuries (obstetric anal sphincter injury, OASI) and cesarean section were compared. A total of 511 women (66%) responded. Second-degree tears were a risk factor for stress incontinence (aOR 2.6 (95% CI 1.3-5.1)). Cesarean section was protective against stress incontinence (aOR 0.2 (95% CI 0.1-0.9)). OASI was a risk factor for urge incontinence (aOR 4.8 (95% CI 1.6-15)), prolapse (aOR 7.7 (95% CI 2.1-29)) and pelvic pain (OR 3.3 (95% CI 1.1-10)). Dyspareunia was reported by 38% of women, 63% of women in the OASI group (aOR 3.1 (95% CI 1.1-9.0)). Women with OASI reported that the injury affected daily life (OR 18 (95% CI 5.1-59)). Pelvic floor dysfunction is common after childbirth, even in women with moderate injury. Women with OASI had significantly higher risks of symptoms of prolapse, urge urinary incontinence, pain, dyspareunia and impacts on daily life.

Background: Prior study of patients with urgency urinary incontinence by functional magnetic resonance imaging showed altered function in areas of the brain associated with interoception and salience and with attention. Our randomized controlled trial of hypnotherapy for urgency urinary incontinence demonstrated marked improvement in urgency urinary incontinence symptoms at 2 months. A subsample of these women with urgency urinary incontinence underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging before and after treatment., Objective: This study aimed to determine if hypnotherapy treatment of urgency urinary incontinence compared with pharmacotherapy was associated with altered brain activation or resting connectivity on functional magnetic resonance imaging., Study Design: A subsample of women participating in a randomized controlled trial comparing hypnotherapy vs pharmacotherapy for treatment of urgency urinary incontinence was evaluated with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Scans were obtained pretreatment and 8 to 12 weeks after treatment initiation. Brain activation during bladder filling and resting functional connectivity with an empty and partially filled bladder were assessed. Brain regions of interest were derived from those previously showing differences between healthy controls and participants with untreated urgency urinary incontinence in our prior work and included regions in the interoceptive and salience, ventral attentional, and dorsal attentional networks., Results: After treatment, participants in both groups demonstrated marked improvement in incontinence episodes (P<.001). Bladder-filling task functional magnetic resonance imaging data from the combined groups (n=64, 30 hypnotherapy, 34 pharmacotherapy) demonstrated decreased activation of the left temporoparietal junction, a component of the ventral attentional network (P<.01) compared with baseline. Resting functional connectivity differed only with the bladder partially filled (n=54). Compared with pharmacotherapy, hypnotherapy participants manifested increased functional connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a component of the dorsal attentional network (P<.001)., Conclusion: Successful treatment of urgency urinary incontinence with both pharmacotherapy and hypnotherapy was associated with decreased activation of the ventral (bottom-up) attentional network during bladder filling. This may be attributable to decreased afferent stimuli arising from the bladder in the pharmacotherapy group. In contrast, decreased ventral attentional network activation associated with hypnotherapy may be mediated by the counterbalancing effects of the dorsal (top-down) attentional network., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: To investigate the relationship between lower urinary tract function and the accessory nerve (ACN) arising from the major pelvic ganglion (MPG)., Methods: Ten-week-old male Wistar/ST rats were randomly divided into eight groups according to the type of treatment (sham or bilateral accessory nerve injury [BACNI]) and the duration of observation (3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, or 4 weeks: Sham-3d, Sham-1w, Sham-2w, Sham-4w, BACNI-3d, BACNI-1w, BACNI-2ws, and BACNI-4w. BACNI was induced in the following manner: the ACN was crushed for 1 min (2 mm away from the MPG) using reverse-action tweezers. The same procedure was performed on both sides. On the last day of each observation period, the bladder function was measured by awake cystometry, and histological evaluation was performed., Results: All rats in the Sham groups micturated normally. In the BACNI-3d and BACNI-1w groups, all rats showed symptoms of overflow urinary incontinence (OUI). This OUI improved gradually over time. The bladder's size in the BACNI group was significantly larger than that in the Sham group (p < .01). In addition, fibrosis was observed in the subserosa of the bladder of rats in BACNI groups., Conclusion: The BACNI model rats exhibited OUI, suggesting that ACN is involved in the lower urinary tract function. It might be possible that ACN controls the function of either the bladder, the urethra, or both., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction: The brain's role in bladder control has become an important area of study in the last 15 years. Typically, the brain's role in urinary urgency has been studied by repeated infusion and withdrawal of fluid, per catheter, to provoke urgency sensation during a whole brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Since this technique generally requires a large group size, we tested a more intense infusion-withdrawal protocol in an attempt to improve signal to noise ratio and repeatability of the signal which would, in turn, allow us to further probe subtypes of urgency urinary incontinence., Methods: A total of 12 women over the age of 60 were recruited to test a new "intense" infusion withdrawal protocol. They underwent this new protocol during a functional brain MRI scan. The primary outcome was comparison of activity within the insula, medial pre-frontal cortex and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex/supplementary motor area (dACC/SMA). Immediate test-retest repeatability was measured using intraclass correlation. Secondary exploratory evaluation of differences in the whole brain between protocols was conducted., Results: There was no significant difference in signal in any of the a priori regions of interest between protocols. Test-retest repeatability in the new protocol was poor compared to the original protocol, and variability was higher. Three participants were not able to tolerate the "intense" protocol., Conclusion: The small improvement in signal to noise ratio of the new protocol was not sufficient to overcome the poorly tolerated intense filling protocol., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Smooth muscle dysfunction in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has been rarely studied. A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of smooth muscle dysfunction (vascular, upper gastrointestinal, and bladder smooth muscle) in children with DMD using questionnaires (Pediatric Bleeding Questionnaire, Pediatric Gastroesophageal Symptom Questionnaire, and Dysfunctional Voiding Symptom Score). Investigations included bleeding time estimation, nuclear scintigraphy for gastroesophageal reflux, and uroflowmetry for urodynamic abnormalities. Ninety-nine subjects were included in the study. The prevalence of vascular, upper gastrointestinal, and bladder smooth muscle dysfunction was 27.2%. Mean bleeding time was prolonged by 117.5 seconds. The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux was 21%. Voided volume/estimated bladder capacity over 15% and abnormal flow curves on uroflowmetry were seen in 18.2% and 9.7% of the subjects, respectively. Our study highlights the need for addressing issues related to smooth muscle dysfunction in the routine clinical care of patients with DMD., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Previous work has shown that the vaginal microbiome decreases in Lactobacillus predominance and becomes more diverse after menopause. It has also been shown that estrogen therapy restores Lactobacillus dominance in the vagina and that topical estrogen is associated with overactive bladder symptom improvement. We now know that the bladder contains a unique microbiome and that increased bladder microbiome diversity is associated with overactive bladder. However, there is no understanding of how quickly each pelvic floor microbiome responds to estrogen or if those changes are associated with symptom improvement., Objective: This study aimed to determine if estrogen treatment of postmenopausal women with overactive bladder decreases urobiome diversity., Study Design: We analyzed data from postmenopausal participants in 2 trials (NCT02524769 and NCT02835846) who chose vaginal estrogen as the primary overactive bladder treatment and used 0.5 g of conjugated estrogen (Premarin cream; Pfizer, New York City, NY) twice weekly for 12 weeks. Baseline and 12-week follow-up data included the Overactive Bladder questionnaire, and participants provided urine samples via catheter, vaginal swabs, perineal swabs, and voided urine samples. Microbes were detected by an enhanced culture protocol. Linear mixed models were used to estimate microbiome changes over time. Urinary antimicrobial peptide activity was assessed by a bacterial growth inhibition assay and correlated with relative abundance of members of the urobiome., Results: In this study, 12 weeks of estrogen treatment resulted in decreased microbial diversity within the vagina (Shannon, P=.047; Richness, P=.043) but not in the other niches. A significant increase in Lactobacillus was detected in the bladder (P=.037) but not in the vagina (P=.33), perineum (P=.56), or voided urine (P=.28). The change in Lactobacillus levels in the bladder was associated with modest changes in urgency incontinence symptoms (P=.02). The relative abundance of the genus Corynebacterium correlated positively with urinary antimicrobial peptide activity after estrogen treatment., Conclusion: Estrogen therapy may change the microbiome of different pelvic floor niches. The vagina begins to decrease in diversity, and the bladder experiences a significant increase in Lactobacillus levels; the latter is correlated with a modest improvement in the symptom severity subscale of the Overactive Bladder questionnaire., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Patients with lower urinary tract symptoms often report urgency and incontinence episodes which are triggered by environmental scenarios, for example, "latch-key incontinence." To better understand the extent of this phenomenon, and how best to reduce its impact, we tested ways to recreate these situational cues in a controlled environment and obtain cue reactivity measures., Methods: We developed a standardized set of urgency cue scenarios from interviews with sufferers of situational urgency urinary incontinence (UUI), personalized urgency, and safe cue sets consisting of photographs of specific locations, and measurements of cue reactivity during computer-based presentation and urodynamic monitoring., Results: Common urgency and safe cues were identified for the standardized cue set. Exposure to these standardized cues elicited change in bladder sensation in 7 of 12 participants. Participants created personalized cue sets with photographs depicting their own urgency triggering scenarios; exposure to personalized cue photos elicited change in sensation in 11 of 12 participants. In addition, personalized cues elicited measurable detrusor overactivity and leakage during urodynamic monitoring. Safe cues reduced bladder sensation in five participants., Conclusion: We developed a computer-based means of displaying cue photos which elicited cue reactivity from women suffering from situational urgency incontinence. Cue reactivity was increased by personalizing photos of cue scenarios and obtaining physiological measures from urodynamics. We have developed an appropriate way to test cue reactivity in women with situational UUI., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Aim: To compare treatment success rate in terms of improvement of bladder overactivity between unilateral and bilateral sacral neuromodulation testing., Methods: A multicentric, parallel, randomized, open pilot trial (October 2012-September 2017) was conducted. Participants presented primary overactive bladder resistant to first-line treatments. Patients were excluded in case of secondary bladder, pelvic, or neurological condition. Patients were randomized between bilateral testing (n = 28) or unilateral testing (n = 27), to determine the best functional response before final implantation. The primary outcome was the rate of patients presenting at least 50% of clinical improvement at 1 month on urinary frequency, number of urge incontinence episodes or number of urinary urgency episodes. Symptom severity, implantation success rate, uroflowmetry, device tolerance, complications, and quality of life were also assessed., Results: Fifty-five patients have been included. The rate of patients presenting at least one significant clinical improvement at month 1 was 62% in the bilateral group versus 84% in the unilateral group (P = .0891), RR = 0.74 (0.51; 1.07). There was no significant difference between bilateral and unilateral groups in terms of improvement of urinary frequency (0% and 17%; P = .1115), number of urge incontinence episodes (52% and 63%; P = .4929) or number of urinary urgency episodes (57% and 74%; P = .2411). More complications were reported in the bilateral group than in the unilateral group (9 [47%] vs 4 [16%], respectively; P = .0239)., Conclusion: Systematic bilateral sacral neuromodulation testing before final implantation did not appear to increase success rate compared with unilateral stimulation in the treatment of overactive bladder., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a challenge for physicians in triaging patients in emergency rooms. We found a potentially dangerous overlap of classical urinary symptoms and the as yet not fully described symptoms of COVID-19. After a patient was primarily triaged as a urosepsis case and then subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19, we focused on an increase in urinary frequency as a symptom of COVID-19 and identified this in seven males out of 57 patients currently being treated in our COVID-19 wards. In the absence of any other causes, urinary frequency may be secondary to viral cystitis due to underlying COVID-19 disease. We propose consideration of urinary frequency as an anamnestic tool in patients with infective symptoms to increase awareness among urologists during the current COVID-19 pandemic to prevent fatal implications of misinterpreting urological symptoms., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: Urinary incontinence (UI) subtypes may have some effects on sexual function because of diverse pathophysiological mechanisms. The objective of our study is to compare UI subtypes' effects on women's sexual function and quality of life (QoL)., Methods: In this descriptive and comparative study, a total of 239 women with UI were included (89 with stress urinary incontinence [SUI], 65 with urge urinary incontinence [UUI], and 85 with mixed urinary incontinence [MUI]). Sexual function was assessed with the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12), and QoL was assessed with the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 (IIQ-7)., Results: In our study, the mean total PISQ-12 score for the UI subtypes was 29.49 ± 6.38 for SUI, 31.43 ± 5.46 for UUI, and 23.12 ± 5.54 for MUI. Women with MUI had significantly more sexual dysfunctions than the other groups (P < .001). The mean total IIQ-7 score according to UI subtypes was 60.61 ± 31.49 for SUI, 64.40 ± 28.20 for UUI, and 70.51 ± 25.09 for MUI. As regards the scores of the IIQ-7, UI had a negative impact on QoL for women of all groups, especially for women with MUI and UUI, but was not significantly different between the groups (P > .05)., Conclusion: The sexual function of women with MUI was affected more adversely than the other UI subtypes. There was no statistically significant difference between the UI subtypes according to IIQ-7 scores, but when we examined the scores, MUI and UUI were found to have more negative effects on QoL. Clinicians and continence nurses should make routine evaluations of sexual function and QoL for women according to UI subtypes., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Background: Nocturnal bladder symptoms and sleep disruption commonly coexist in middle-aged and older women. Although sleep disruption is often attributed to nocturnal bladder symptoms in women with overactive bladder syndrome, nonbladder factors also may influence sleep in this population. Many women with overactive bladder are eager to identify nonpharmacologic strategies for both bladder symptoms and sleep disruption, given the potential adverse effects of sedative and anticholinergic bladder medications in this population., Objectives: To provide greater insight into the complex relationship between nighttime overactive bladder symptoms and sleep disruption, and to evaluate the effects of a guided slow-paced respiration intervention on sleep outcomes in women with overactive bladder., Study Design: We conducted an ancillary study within a randomized trial of slow-paced respiration in women with overactive bladder symptoms. Ambulatory community-dwelling women who reported ≥3 episodes/day of urgency-associated voiding or incontinence were randomized to use either a portable biofeedback device (RESPeRATE; Intercure, Ltd) to practice guided slow-paced respiration exercises daily for 12 weeks (N=79) or an identical-appearing device programmed to play nonrhythmic music without guiding breathing (N=82). At baseline and after 12 weeks, bladder symptoms were assessed by voiding diary, sleep duration, and disruption were assessed by sleep diary corroborated by wrist actigraphy, and poor sleep quality was determined by a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global score >5., Results: Of the 161 women randomized, 31% reported at least twice-nightly nocturia, 26% nocturnal incontinence, and 70% poor sleep quality at baseline. Of the 123 reporting any nighttime awakenings, 89% averaged 1 or more nighttime awakenings, and 83% attributed at least half of awakenings to using the bathroom. Self-reported wake time after sleep onset increased with increasing frequency of nocturnal bladder symptoms (P=.01 for linear trend). However, even among women without nocturia, average sleep quality was poor (Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index global score mean of 7.3; 95% confidence interval, 6.0-8.6). Over 12 weeks, women assigned to slow-paced respiration (N=79) experienced modest improvements in mean nocturnal voiding frequency (0.4 fewer voids/night), sleep quality (1.1 point score decrease), and sleep disruption (1.5% decreased wake time after sleep onset). However, similar improvements were detected in the music control group (N=81), without significant between-group differences., Conclusions: Many women with overactive bladder syndrome experience disrupted sleep, but not all nocturnal awakenings are attributable to bladder symptoms, and average sleep quality tends to be poor even in women without nocturia. Findings suggest that clinicians should not assume that poor sleep in women with overactive bladder syndrome is primarily caused by nocturnal bladder symptoms. Guided slow-paced respiration was associated with modest improvements in nocturia frequency and sleep quality in this trial, but the results do not support clinician recommendation to use this technique over other behavioral relaxation techniques for improving sleep., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Sacral neuromodulation and intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxinA injection are therapies for refractory urgency urinary incontinence. Sacral neuromodulation involves surgical implantation of a device that can last 4 to 6 years while onabotulinumtoxinA therapy involves serial office injections. We assessed the cost-effectiveness of 2-stage implantation sacral neuromodulation vs 200 units onabotulinumtoxinA for the treatment of urgency urinary incontinence., Materials and Methods: Prospective economic evaluation was performed concurrent with the ROSETTA (Refractory Overactive Bladder: Sacral NEuromodulation vs. BoTulinum Toxin Assessment) randomized trial of 386 women with 6 or more urgency urinary incontinence episodes on a 3-day diary. Analysis is from the health care system perspective with primary within-trial analysis for 2 years and secondary 5-year decision analysis. Costs are in 2018 U.S. dollars. Effectiveness was measured in quality adjusted life-years (QALYs) and reductions in urgency urinary incontinence episodes per day. We generated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves., Results: Two-year costs were higher for sacral neuromodulation than for onabotulinumtoxinA ($35,680 [95% CI 33,920-37,440] vs $7,460 [95% CI 5,780-9,150], p <0.01), persisting through 5 years ($36,550 [95% CI 34,787-38,309] vs $12,020 [95% CI 10,330-13,700], p <0.01). At 2 years there were no differences in mean reduction in urgency urinary incontinence episodes per day (-3.00 [95% CI -3.38 - -2.62] vs -3.12 [95% CI -3.48 - -2.76], p=0.66) or QALYs (1.39 [95% CI 1.34-1.44] vs 1.41 [95% CI 1.36-1.45], p=0.60). The probability that sacral neuromodulation is cost-effective relative to onabotulinumtoxinA is less than 0.025 for all willingness to pay values below $580,000 per QALY at 2 years and $204,000 per QALY at 5 years., Conclusions: Although both treatments were effective, the high cost of sacral neuromodulation is not good value for treating urgency urinary incontinence compared to 200 units onabotulinumtoxinA.

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a highly prevalent symptom complex characterised by symptoms of urinary urgency, increased frequency, nocturia, with or without urge incontinence; in the absence of proven infection or other obvious pathology. The underlying pathophysiology of idiopathic OAB is not clearly known and the existence of several phenotypes has been proposed. Current diagnostic approaches are based on discordant measures, suffer from subjectivity and are incapable of detecting the proposed OAB phenotypes. In this study, cluster analysis was used as an objective approach for phenotyping participants based on their OAB characteristic symptoms and led to the identification of a low OAB symptomatic score group (cluster 1) and a high OAB symptomatic score group (cluster 2). Furthermore, the ability of several potential OAB urinary biomarkers including ATP, ACh, nitrite, MCP-1 and IL-5 and participants' confounders, age and gender, in predicting the identified high OAB symptomatic score group was assessed. A combination of urinary ATP and IL-5 plus age and gender was shown to have clinically acceptable and improved diagnostic accuracy compared to urodynamically-observed detrusor overactivity. Therefore, this study provides the foundation for the development of novel non-invasive diagnostic tools for OAB phenotypes that may lead to personalised treatment.

Background: Urgency is a complaint of sudden, compelling desire to pass urine, which is difficult to defer, caused by involuntary contraction of the detrusor muscle during the bladder-filling stage. To enable detrusor inhibition, electrotherapy resources such as transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS) and parasacral transcutaneous electrical stimulation (PTES) have been used. The objective this study is to publish the study protocol that aims to investigate whether urgency decreases after treatment with both of the techniques., Methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial will include 99 women, aged more than 18 years old, with urgency (score ≥ 8 in the Overactive Bladder-Validated 8-Question Awareness Tool [OAB-V8]). Women will be randomly allocated into three groups: TTNS, PTES, and placebo. The following questionnaires will be applied: the Anamnesis Record, the Incontinence Questionnaire Overactive Bladder, the King's Health Questionnaire, the 24-Hour Voiding Diary, and the OAB-V8, at four different time points: at baseline prior to the first session, at the 6th session, the 12th session and at follow-up. The current used for the transcutaneous electrical stimulation will be a symmetrical balanced biphasic pulsed current, for 12 sessions, twice a week, for 20 minutes. Qualitative variables will be displayed as frequency and percentage, quantitative variables as mean and standard deviation. Comparison of urgency severity among groups will be performed with a repeated measures ANOVA, considering the effect of the three groups and the four evaluations, and interactions among them., Discussion: The present study aims to contribute evidence for a more in-depth discussion on electrode positioning for electrostimulation used in urgency treatment. It should be emphasized that, based on the possibility of confirming the hypothesis that urgency will decrease in a similar way after both treatments (TTNS and PTES), the PTES will be used as an option for positioning the electrodes alternatively to the tibial nerve region in special populations, such as amputees or people with severe lower limb sensory impairment., Trial Registration: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC) ID: RBR-9rf33n, date of registration: 17 May 2018.

Background: Urinary incontinence subtypes often differ by symptom severity and treatment profiles; in particular, mixed urinary incontinence is generally associated with worse symptoms and less successful treatment. Yet, limited information exists on the natural history of different urinary incontinence subtypes, which could help to better identify and treat patients prior to development of more intractable disease., Objective: To evaluate the onset of urinary incontinence subtypes, and transitions between subtypes over 8 years, using 2 large cohorts of middle-aged and older women with incident urinary incontinence., Materials and Methods: We identified 10,349 women with incident urinary incontinence (stress, urgency, and mixed subtypes) from the Nurses' Health Study and the Nurses' Health Study II who were 41-83 years of age, using repeated mailed questionnaires. We defined stress urinary incontinence as leakage with coughing, sneezing, or activity; urgency urinary incontinence as urine loss with a sudden feeling of bladder fullness or when a toilet was inaccessible; and mixed urinary incontinence when women reported that stress and urgency symptoms occurred equally. In subsequent questionnaires 4 and 8 years later, we continued to track symptom severity and subtypes. In addition, to obtain predicted probabilities of urinary incontinence subtypes 4 years and 8 years after urinary incontinence onset, we used multivariable-adjusted generalized estimating equations with a multinomial outcome., Results: At urinary incontinence onset in 2004-2005, 56% of women reported stress urinary incontinence symptoms, 23% reported urgency urinary incontinence symptoms, and 21% reported mixed urinary incontinence symptoms. Women with stress urinary incontinence or urgency urinary incontinence at onset were likely to report the same urinary incontinence type 4 and 8 years later (stress urinary incontinence at onset: 70% and 60% reported stress urinary incontinence at years 4 and 8, respectively; urgency urinary incontinence at onset: 68% and 64% reported urgency urinary incontinence at years 4 and 8, respectively). Nonetheless, for both stress and urgency urinary incontinence, women with more severe symptoms at onset were more likely to progress to mixed urinary incontinence. Women with mixed urinary incontinence at onset had more variation over time, although the largest subset continued to report mixed urinary incontinence (45% reported mixed urinary incontinence at year 4; 43% reported mixed urinary incontinence at year 8). Few women across all urinary incontinence subtypes reported resolution of symptoms over 4-8 years of follow-up (4-12%). When considering the likelihood of remaining with or progressing to mixed urinary incontinence over follow-up, according to age, body mass index, and urinary incontinence severity, we found that older and younger women had similar predicted probability of remaining with or progressing to mixed urinary incontinence (eg, women <60 years of age at onset with severe mixed urinary incontinence had a 54% (95% confidence interval, 53-55) probability of mixed urinary incontinence 8 years later, vs 57% (95% confidence interval, 56-58) of women ≥70 years of age with severe mixed urinary incontinence at onset). Obese women were somewhat more likely to progress to mixed urinary incontinence regardless of urinary incontinence type at onset (eg, women with body mass index <25 kg/m 2 at onset with severe stress urinary incontinence had a 30% predicted probability of mixed urinary incontinence 8 years after onset, vs 36% of women with body mass index of 30+ kg/m 2 at onset with severe stress urinary incontinence)., Conclusion: Most women with incident stress and urgency urinary incontinence continued to experience similar subtype symptoms over 8 years. However, obese women and those with more severe symptoms were more likely to remain with or progress to mixed urinary incontinence., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study aimed to identify differences in severity of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms in women of different races and ethnicities using urodynamic study (UDS) parameters., Methods: We performed a 5-year retrospective chart review from January 2014 to January 2019 of women 18 years and older who endorsed OAB symptoms and underwent UDS at a racially and ethnically diverse academic urban medical center. Logistic and linear regressions were used to examine the associations of various UDS parameters between racial/ethnic groups, after adjusting for age, diabetes, and parity., Results: A total of 161 women with an average age of 59 years were included in the study. The racial/ethnic composition of the group was Hispanic (62%), black (24%), and white (11%). Symptoms on presentation included urgency and/or frequency (11.8%), urge incontinence (23.0%), or mixed urinary symptoms (65.2%). Black and Hispanic women presented with differing symptoms (urgency/frequency vs mixed urinary symptoms). Half of the patients (n = 82) had detrusor overactivity. Compared with whites, blacks were 3.4-fold more likely to have detrusor overactivity (95% confidence interval, 0.99-11.40) and had lower volumes at time of "strong desire" (-102.6 mL, P = 0.003). Hispanics had on average 75.88 mL less volume at sensation of "strong desire" (P = 0.016) than did whites., Conclusions: Our study suggests that minority race and ethnicity may be associated with worse performance on certain UDS parameters. Future studies should aim to understand if these differences are due to genetic, disease-related, behavioral, and/or socioeconomic factors and whether these differences are associated with worse subjective OAB.

Objective: The main aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of percutaneous posterior tibial nerve electrostimulation (P-PTNS) in urge urinary incontinence (UUI) and faecal incontinence (FI) refractory to first-line treatment. A secondary aim was to identify predictors of treatment response. To do this, we performed a 2-year analytical, longitudinal and prospective study in patients with UUI and FI treated with P-PTNS., Material and Methods: We included patients with UUI and FI who were treated with P-PTNS and who completed the bladder/faecal incontinence diary and severity and quality of life questionnaires. We excluded patients with neurogenic UUI and those who abandoned treatment or did not complete the questionnaires. We assessed demographic and clinical variables (micturition/defecation habits pre- and postreatment), severity scales before and after treatment (ICIQ-SF, Sandvick and Wexner), subjective improvement and quality of life (IQOL and FIQL pre- and postreatment). The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS v19., Results: The sample consisted of 21 patients divided into 2 groups: -UUI group, 9 patients. After P-PTNS, there was a statistically significant improvement in diurnal (p=.018) and nocturnal (p=.016) urinary frequency, urgencies/day (p=.018), urine leakage/day (p=.027), ICIQ-SF and Sandvick (p=.018), and IQOL (p=.012). This improvement was related to exercise (p=.039) and prolapse (p=.05). -Group FI, 12 patients. After P-PTNS, there was a statistically significant improvement in defecation frequency (p=.027), incontinence (p=.012), Wexner scale (p=.007), and FIQL in its 4 dimensions (lifestyle, behaviour, embarrassment p=.005; and depression p=.008). This improvement was related to age (p=.048), time since onset (p=.044) and prolapse (p=.026)., Conclusions: The P-PTNS is effective in UUI and FI refractory to conventional treatment. Treatment response is affected by several factors., (Copyright © 2019 Sociedad Española de Rehabilitación y Medicina Física. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Sacral neuromodulation is a guideline recommended treatment of urinary dysfunction and fecal incontinence in patients in whom conservative treatments have failed. Historically sacral neuromodulation has been delivered using a nonrechargeable device with an average life span of 4.4 years. Surgery is required to replace the implanted neurostimulator due to battery depletion. Implantation of a long-lived implanted neurostimulator can eliminate the need for replacement surgeries, potentially reducing patient surgical risks and health care costs. The Axonics r-SNM System™ is a miniaturized, rechargeable sacral neuromodulation system designed to deliver therapy for at least 15 years. The ARTISAN-SNM (Axonics® Sacral Neuromodulation System for Urinary Urgency Incontinence Treatment) study is a pivotal study using rechargeable sacral neuromodulation therapy to treat urinary urgency incontinence. Six-month results are presented., Materials and Methods: A total of 129 eligible patients with urinary urgency incontinence were treated. All participants were implanted with a tined lead and the rechargeable sacral neuromodulation system in a nonstaged procedure. Efficacy data were collected using a 3-day bladder diary, the validated ICIQ-OABqol (International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Overactive Bladder quality of life) questionnaire and a participant satisfaction questionnaire. Therapy responders were identified as participants with a 50% or greater reduction in urinary urgency incontinence episodes compared to baseline. We performed an as-treated analysis in all implanted participants., Results: At 6 months 90% of participants were therapy responders. The mean ± SE number of urinary urgency incontinence episodes per day was reduced from 5.6 ± 0.3 at baseline to 1.3 ± 0.2. Participants experienced a clinically meaningful 34-point improvement on the ICIQ-OABqol questionnaire. There were no serious device related adverse events., Conclusions: The Axonics r-SNM System is safe and effective with 90% of participants experiencing clinically and statistically significant improvements in urinary urgency incontinence symptoms.

Objectives: Third line treatment of urge urinary incontinence (UUI) and/or reduced bladder capacity is bladder augmentation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether clam enterocystoplasty (CECP) was an efficient treatment for patients who were refractory to conservative treatments of UUI and small functional bladder capacity and secondly if there was a difference in outcome in patients with neurogenic and non-neurogenic bladders. Methods: We evaluated 118 patients retrospectively treated in the period 2006-2018 at a single university hospital. Data were collected retrospectively. Patient groups were compared with Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Fisher's exact test. Results: Overall, 76% became continent with 92% using clean intermittent self-catherization (CISC) of patients with neurogenic bladder, 82% became continent and 100% were using CISC, whereas of patients with non-neurogenic bladder 64% became continence and 77% were using CISC. The median overall improvement of capacity was 296.5 mL (IQR: 142-440), 310 mL (186-467) in the neurogenic group and 214 mL (IQR: 126.8-361.5) in non-neurogenic ( p  = 0.01). Conclusion: CECP is an efficient treatment in UUI and reduced bladder capacity. Difference in outcome was seen with neurogenic patients having a bigger functional capacity and a higher rate of continence compared to the non-neurogenic.

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of transobturator tape (TOT) on overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms and quality of life., Materials and Methods: Patients with stress-predominant mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) who had undergone TOT procedures were considered candidates for this research. Preoperative assessment included anamnesis, pelvic examination, cough stress test (CST), and validated symptom severity and quality of life (QoL) questionnaires. The primary outcome, improvement and cure rates of OAB symptoms were determined based on the patient's baseline scores in symptom-related questions in OAB-V8. Secondary outcomes included the success rates of SUI, changes in the QoL score and patient satisfaction rates., Results: A total of 104 patients were included in the study. Sixty-two patients underwent TOT placement alone, and 42 patients underwent TOT placement along with prolapse surgery. The mean follow-up period of the patients was 30.47 months range: 13-52 months. At the fi rst-year follow-up, 52 patients (50.0%) and 59 patients (56.7%) reported cure in preoperative urgency and urgency incontinence, respectively. The objective and subjective cure rates were 96.2% and 56.7%, respectively. A total of 80.7% of the cases had a 15-point improvement in QoL scores., Conclusions: MUS is not only a gold standard treatment in SUI but also presents as a promising treatment modality in stress-dominant MUI. Although the improvement rates of OAB symptoms signifi cantly decrease over time, QoL and patient satisfaction rates remain higher than any other treatment in this patient group at the third-year follow-up., Competing Interests: None declared., (Copyright® by the International Brazilian Journal of Urology.)

Purpose: We examined prospective associations between physical activity and a range of lower urinary tract symptoms in parous middle-aged women., Materials and Methods: We used prospectively collected data on women participating in the ALSPAC (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children). Physical activity levels were self-reported at a mean ± SD age of 37.2 ± 4.6 years and translated into MET hours per week. A total of 4,126 and 2,770 women reported symptoms of lower urinary tract symptoms, including stress, urgency and mixed incontinence, at 3 and 11.5 years of followup, respectively., Results: The prevalence of any lower urinary tract symptoms at 3 and 11.5 years of followup was 15% and 23% at a mean age of 40.5 and 49.3 years, respectively. At 3 years of followup women in the highest category of physical activity (43.2 MET hours or more per week) had lower odds of stress incontinence (aOR 0.51, 95% CI 0.32-0.80) than women in the lowest category (0 MET hours per week). At 11.5 years of followup women in the highest category of physical activity had lower odds of stress incontinence (aOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.39-0.82), urgency incontinence (aOR 0.34, 95% CI 0.20-0.67) and mixed incontinence (aOR 0.34, 95% CI 0.19-0.63) compared to women in the lowest physical activity category., Conclusions: Greater physical activity is associated with reduced odds of lower urinary tract symptoms, especially stress incontinence, among middle-aged parous women. Further research is necessary to examine the impact of different types of physical activity on lower urinary tract symptoms.

Aims: To analyze the association between urinary incontinence and disability status in premenopausal women., Materials and Methods: The study included 120 premenopausal women recruited from six Basic Family Health Units to participate in this study. We assessed sociodemographic, gynecological, and obstetric data by using specific questions. The International Continence Society's definitions were applied to determine the presence and type of urinary incontinence, and the disability was assessed by using the 36-item version of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) 2.0., Results: The WHODAS scores showed that women with urinary incontinence had a worse disability in cognition (P = .023) and mobility (P = .020) domains, in addition to the total score (P = .23). Women with mixed urinary incontinence had a worse disability in mobility domain (P = .039) than those with stress or urgency incontinence. Qualitative analyses of disability showed a significant difference between women with and without urinary incontinence (P = .033), with higher percentages of incontinent women with moderate and severe disability. Women who reported urinary incontinence had 7.69 more points on the final score of WHODAS than those who did not report this outcome., Conclusions: Urinary incontinence in women of reproductive age is associated with disability and worse scores of WHODAS when we compare them to women without urine leakage. The results presented can be useful for designing and adapting strategies for comprehensive care of women with urinary incontinence and disability, and developing rehabilitation programs based on functioning., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) is a chronic bladder inflammation that leads to chronic bladder pain and urinary urgency and frequency. The presentation of IC/PBS is heterogeneous, and it is classified as ulcerative IC/PBS and nonulcerative IC/PBS. The main cause of IC/PBS is thought to be a persistent inflammatory condition in the bladder, though the actual pathophysiology has not been identified yet. Although the underlying pathophysiology of IC/PBS is not completely understood, several theories for the etiology of this syndrome have been suggested, including deficiency of the glycosaminoglycan covering urothelium surface that results in leaky urothelium infection, immunological etiology, activated mast cells, neural changes, and inflammation. In addition, there are no gold standards for the detection of this disorder to date. So, determination of gene expression and its role in different signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of this heterogeneous disorder contribute to the more efficient cognition of the pathophysiology of this disease and to the design of effective treatments and molecular diagnostic methods for IC/PBS., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objective: To investigate the relationship between oxidative stress and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in a community-dwelling population., Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study included 1 113 people who participated in the Iwaki Health Promotion Project of 2015 in Hirosaki, Japan. LUTS were assessed using structured questionnaires, including the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS). IPSS > 7, OABSS > 5, nocturia score > 1, or urge incontinence score > 1 were defined as moderate to severe symptoms. 8-Hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were measured by urine analysis and skin autofluorescence, respectively. The relationship between oxidative stress and LUTS was investigated using logistic regression analyses., Results: This study included 431 men and 682 women. AGEs and 8-OHdG levels were significantly higher in severe forms of LUTS. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that AGE levels were significantly associated with a higher frequency of nocturia but were not associated with IPSS, OABSS or urge incontinence. No significant association was observed between LUTS and 8-OHdG levels., Conclusions: We observed a significant association between AGE levels and nocturia score > 1. Further research is necessary to clarify a possible causal relationship between oxidative stress and nocturia., (© 2018 The Authors BJU International © 2018 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of Multipulse laser vaporesection of the prostate (MPVP) versus plasmakinetic resection of the prostate (PKRP) for treatment of patients with benign prostate obstruction (BPO) in a prospective trial. From January 2016 to April 2017, a total of 144 patients were included in the cohort study, of whom 73 patients underwent MPVP and 71 underwent PKRP. All patients received pre-operative evaluation and followed up at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Baseline characteristics, perioperative data and postoperative outcomes were compared. Early (within 30 days postoperatively) and late complications were also recorded. Preoperative data, including age, prostate volume, international prostate symptom score (IPSS), International Index of Erectile Function Questionnaires (IIEF-5), the rate of anticoagulants use, Charlson comorbidity index were similar in two groups. Peri-operative parameters, including the rate of transfusion, and decrease in hemoglobin level were comparable. The operative time, the duration of catheterization and length of hospital stay were significantly shorter in the MPVP group. The voiding parameters and the quality-of-life scores (QoL) improved significantly in both groups postoperatively. There was a significantly difference in QoL at 1-year in the MPVP group (p < 0.001), under mixed model analysis with random effect and Bonferroni correction. There were no significant differences in improvement of IPSS, Qmax, IIEF-5, residual prostate volume ratio and PSA level reduction at the 1-year follow-up. MPVP was significantly superior to PKRP in terms of a reduction in overall complication rate (21.9% vs 45.0%, p = 0.004). Both treatments led to comparable symptomatic improvements. MPVP demonstrates satisfactory efficiency, shorter catheterization time and shorter hospital stay. Our data revealed that MPVP may be a promising technique which is safe and favorable alternative for patients with BPO.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between urethral sensation and urge urinary incontinence (UUI) in patients with and without detrusor overactivity (DO)., Methods: The medical records of 80 consecutive patients who underwent filling cystometry and urethral current perception threshold (CPT) tests were examined retrospectively. Following the exclusion of 4 patients not eligible for analysis, patients were classified into neurogenic DO, idiopathic DO, or DO-negative groups based on neurological and cystometric findings (n = 30, 12, and 34, respectively). Eleven DO-negative patients were defined as normal controls on cystometrograms (CMG) using the following exclusion criteria: bladder compliance <12.5 mL/cmH 2 O, volume >275 mL at first filling sensation, and comorbidities possibly affecting lower urinary tract function. Thus, 53 patients were finally included in the study. Proximal urethral CPT was evaluated with intraurethral square-wave stimulation at 3 Hz to activate C-fiber afferents., Results: Median CPT was higher in neurogenic and idiopathic DO than in the normal CMG group (11.3 and 9.0 vs. 2.8 mA, respectively; P < .05), as well as in patients with UUI (n = 19) compared with non-UUI patients (n = 34; 12.5 vs. 5.4 mA, respectively; P < .05). The proportion of UUI patients was significantly greater in the DO-positive groups than in the normal CMG group (P < .05). CPTs were not associated with bladder capacity at the first filling sensation (r = 0.11)., Conclusion: Hyposensitive C-fibers of the proximal urethra may contribute to the development of urodynamic DO as well as UUI in patients complaining of lower urinary tract symptoms., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Objectives: To estimate the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation to reduce urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) episodes., Design: Pilot, two-arm, randomized trial conducted from 2013 to 2017. Interventions were 12 weeks of weekly oral 50,000 IU vitamin D3 or placebo., Setting: Academic, university-based outpatient clinic., Participants: Community-dwelling postmenopausal women, 50 years or older, with at least three UUI episodes on 7-day bladder diary and serum vitamin 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) of 30 ng/mL or less., Measurements: The primary efficacy estimate was the percentage change in UUI episodes. Secondary estimates included changes in other lower urinary tract symptoms, along with exploratory subgroup analysis by race/ethnicity and obesity., Results: We randomized 56 women (aged 50-84 years; mean = 60.5 ± 8.2 years), 28 to vitamin D and 28 to placebo; 51 completed treatments. Mean serum 25(OH)D at baseline (21.2 ± 5.2 and 18.2 ± 5.6, P = .30) improved to 57.9 ± 16.3 ng/mL with vitamin D3 and 21.9 ± 8.2 ng/mL with placebo (P < .001). UUI episodes per 24-hour day decreased by 43.0% with vitamin D3 compared to 27.6% with placebo (P = .22). Among black women (n = 33), UUI episodes decreased by 63.2% with vitamin D3 compared to 22.9% with placebo (P = .03). Among obese women, UUI episodes decreased by 54.1% with vitamin D compared to 32.7% with placebo (P = .29). For all women, changes in voiding frequency (P = .40), nocturia (P = .40), urgency (P = .90), incontinence severity (P = .81), and overactive bladder symptom severity (P = .47) were not different between arms., Conclusions: Postmenopausal women with UUI and vitamin D insufficiency demonstrated a greater than 40% decrease in UUI episodes, which did not reach statistical significance compared to placebo, except in the subset of black women. The results of this pilot study support further investigation of vitamin D3 alone or in combination with other treatments for UUI, particularly for women in higher-risk subgroups. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:570-575, 2019., (Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.)

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of Ospemifene in the improvement of urgency component in women affected by mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) who underwent surgery with mid-urethral sling (MUS). Eighty-one patients with MUI underwent surgical intervention with MUS were enrolled. After surgical intervention 38 patients received Ospemifene 60 mg one tablet daily per os for 12 weeks. Physical examination, 3-day voiding diary, urodynamic testing were performed at the start and the follow-up after 12 weeks in the Trans-Obturator-Tape (TOT)-Alone group and TOT-Ospemifene. Patients completed the Overactive Bladder Symptom and Health-Related Quality of Life Short-Form (OAB-Q SF), International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ-UI-SF), and King' s Health Questionnaire (KHQ). A significant difference between the two groups was observed in peak flow (ml/s), in first voiding desire (ml), in maximum cystometric capacity (ml), and in detrusor pressure at peak flow (cmH 2 O) at urodynamic evaluation. A significative difference between the two groups at voiding diary was observed in the mean number of voids, urgent micturition episodes/24 h, urge urinary incontinence, and in nocturia events. The OAB-Q symptoms and OAB-Q (HRQL) scores after 12 weeks showed a significative difference between the two groups. Ospemifene is an effective potential therapy after MUSs in women with MUI improving urgency symptoms and quality of life.

Understanding the pathophysiologic mechanisms responsible for overactive bladder (OAB) and urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) is critical to advancing the treatment options available to men and women with this prevalent and bothersome condition. Development of novel technologies and advanced functional neuroimaging modalities has provided us with new information to support and refine existing mechanistic theories. Emerging research on central pathophysiologic mechanisms of OAB from functional magnetic resonance imaging may provide new targets for therapeutic interventions and opens the door for novel treatment strategies. Several regions of interest-specifically the anterior cingulate gyrus, insula, and frontal cortices-have been implicated as areas of activation in women with OAB, suggesting a neural correlate of the experience of urgency. The cerebellum and parietal lobe have demonstrated increased activation during inhibition of voiding, and increased connectivity between the cerebellum and parietal lobe and the right insula and anterior cingulate gyrus has been demonstrated in women with UUI compared with controls. Evolving literature is beginning to shed light on the prerequisite effective connections between regions of interest in the healthy bladder and negative connectivity in OAB and UUI. Precision medicine with individualized care pathways may better select available treatment modalities for rightful recipients, thus improving efficacy with prescribed treatment approaches and adherence to therapy., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed.No competing interests were disclosed.No competing interests were disclosed.No competing interests were disclosed.No competing interests were disclosed.

Background: The brain's role in continence is critical but poorly understood. Although regions activated during bladder stimulation have been identified, little is known about the interaction between regions. In this secondary analysis we evaluate resting state and effective connectivity in older women treated for urgency urinary incontinence (UUI)., Method: 54 women ≥60 years old with UUI and 10 continent women underwent fMRI scanning during provocation of urinary urgency, both before and after therapy. Response was defined by >50% reduction in leaks on bladder diary. Regions of interest (RoIs) were selected a priori: right insula, medial prefrontal cortex, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. Generalized psycho-physiological interaction (gPPI) was used to calculate "effective connectivity" between RoIs during urgency. We performed a one-way ANOVA pre-treatment between groups (continent/responders/non-responders), as well as a two-way mixed ANOVA between group and time (responders/non-responders; pre-/post-therapy) using false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Principal component analysis was used to assess the variance within RoIs. Exploratory voxel-wise connectivity analyses were conducted between each RoI and the rest of the brain., Results: RoI-RoI connectivity analysis showed connectivity differences between controls, responders, and non-responders, although statistical significance was lost after extensive correction. Principal component analysis confirmed appropriate RoI selection. Voxel-wise analyses showed that connectivity in responders became more like that of controls after therapy (cluster-wise correction P < 0.05). In non-responders, no consistent changes were seen., Conclusion: These data support the postulate that responders and non-responders to therapy may represent different subsets of UUI, one with more of a central etiology, and one without., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Aims: Urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) is a major problem for seniors. The underlying mechanisms of disease and therapy are unknown. We sought structural brain abnormalities that might underlie the functional differences previously observed by functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in UUI patients versus controls, or among UUI responders versus non-responders to therapy-and thereby reveal potential disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets., Methods: Secondary study of a trial of biofeedback-assisted pelvic floor muscle training (BFB) in 60 women (>60 yrs) with UUI, plus 11 age-matched continent controls. Brain structural abnormalities were investigated using: (1) white-matter hyperintensities (WMH); (2) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to reveal white-matter pathways with impaired integrity; and (3) voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to show regions of atrophy or hypertrophy., Results: WMH burden was greater in UUI patients than controls (globally and in superior longitudinal fasciculus and cingulum), suggesting a possible causal connection. WMH burden was unexpectedly greater in responders than non-responders to BFB, and appeared to increase in non-responders but not in responders. DTI revealed even worse integrity of the cingulum than was apparent by WMH. VBM showed parahippocampal atrophy in UUI., Conclusions: Many women with UUI have white-matter damage that interferes with pathways critical to bladder control; they can be taught by techniques like BFB to exert stronger control over the bladder. For others, in whom abnormalities of key brain areas are less marked, UUI's cause may reside elsewhere, and therapy targeting these brain centers may be less effective than therapy targeting the bladder or other brain centers., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Introduction and Hypothesis: The objective was to evaluate the intra-individual variability of uroflowmetry (UFM) in healthy control subjects and women suffering from stress, urge, and mixed urinary incontinence., Methods: A total of 35 healthy controls (group A) and 105 women suffering from urinary incontinence were enrolled in the study. Thirty-five women suffered from stress urinary incontinence (group B), 35 women suffered from mixed urinary incontinence (group C), and 35 women with overactive bladder both dry and wet (group D). All participants were asked to perform UFM measurement three times. The following parameters were analyzed: voided volume (VV), peak flow (Q max ), average flow (Q ave ), volume-corrected peak flow cQ max (cQ max  = Q max / 2 √ VV), volume-corrected average flow (cQ ave  = Q ave / 2 √ VV), and postvoid residual volume (PVR). Statistical analysis was performed using the analysis of variance on repeated measurements. Relative error was calculated using variation coefficients reported as a percentage of the average. All descriptive characteristics were reported as means ± standard deviation (SD). p values ≤0.05 were considered statistically significant., Results: No statistically significant intra-individual difference in any of the recorded parameters was identified among the three UFM recordings in groups A, C, and D. The intra-individual variability of the following parameters reached statistical significance in patients suffering from stress urinary incontinence (group B): Q max (p = 0.0016), Q ave (p = 0.0005), and cQ ave (p = 0.0389). A significant difference was only observed in comparison between the first and second consecutive recordings., Conclusions: This study provides evidence supporting the high yield and good intra-individual reproducibility of UFM.

Objective: Urinary incontinence (UI) is one of the most common urinary system diseases that mostly affects women but also men. We evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of functional magnetic stimulation (FMS) as potential UI treatment with improvements in the pelvic floor musculature, urodynamic tests and quality of life., Methods: A total of 20 UI patients (10 females and 10 men, mean age 64, 14 years), including 10 with stress UI, four with urgency UI and six with mixed UI, were treated with FMS (20 min/session) twice a week for 3 weeks. The patients' impressions, records in urinary diaries, and scores of three life stress questionnaires (overactive bladder symptom questionnaire [OAB-q], urogenital distress inventory questionnaire-short form [UDI-6], incontinence impact questionnaire-short form [IIQ-7]) were performed pre- and post-treatment., Results: Significant reductions (P < 0.01) of micturition number and nocturia after magnetic treatment were evidenced. The urodynamic tests recorded a significant increase in cystometric capacity (147 ± 51.3%), in maximum urethral closure pressure (110 ± 34%), in urethral functional length (99.8 ± 51.8%), and in pressure transmission ratio (147 ± 51.3%) values compared with the baseline values., Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest that FMS with Magneto STYM (twice weekly for 3 weeks) improves the UI and may be an effective treatment for this urogenital disease., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Purpose: The mechanism of sacral neuromodulation is poorly understood. We compared brain activity during urgency before and after sacral neuromodulation in women with overactive bladder and according to the response to treatment., Materials and Methods: Women with refractory overactive bladder who elected sacral neuromodulation were invited to undergo functional magnetic resonance imaging before and after treatment. During imaging the bladder was filled until urgency was experienced. Regions of interest were identified a priori and brain activity in these regions of interest was compared before and after treatment as well as according to the treatment response. Whole brain exploratory analysis with an uncorrected voxel level threshold of p <0.001 was also performed to identify additional brain regions which changed after sacral neuromodulation., Results: Of the 12 women who underwent a pretreatment functional magnetic resonance imaging examination 7 were successfully treated with sacral neuromodulation and underwent a posttreatment examination. After sacral neuromodulation brain activity decreased in the left anterior cingulate cortex, the bilateral insula, the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the bilateral orbitofrontal cortex (each p <0.05). No new brain regions showed increased activity after sacral neuromodulation. Pretreatment brain activity levels in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex, the right insula, the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the right orbitofrontal cortex, the right supplementary motor area and the right sensorimotor cortex were higher in women who underwent successful treatment (each p <0.05)., Conclusions: Brain activity during urgency changes after successful sacral neuromodulation. Sacral neuromodulation may be more effective in women with higher levels of pretreatment brain activity during urgency., (Copyright © 2018 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Hypothesis: Mixed urinary incontinence (UI) is, on average, more severe than urgency UI or stress UI. We tested the hypothesis that mixed UI is a more advanced stage of UI by comparing transition probabilities among women with stress, urgency, and mixed UI., Methods: We used data from the General Longitudinal Overactive Bladder Evaluation Study-UI, which included community-dwelling women, aged 40+ years, with UI at baseline. Study participants completed two or more consecutive bladder health surveys every 6 months for up to 4 years. Using sequential 6-month surveys, transition probabilities among UI subtypes were estimated using the Cox-proportional hazards model, with the expectation that probabilities from stress or urgency UI to mixed UI would be substantially greater than probabilities in the reverse direction., Results: Among 6,993 women 40+ years of age at baseline, the number (prevalence) of women with stress, urgency, and mixed UI was 481 (6.9%), 557 (8.0%), and 1488 (21.3%) respectively. Over a 4-year period, the transition probabilities from stress UI (34%) and urgency UI (27%) to mixed UI was significantly higher than probabilities from mixed to stress UI (6%) or to urgency UI (rate = 9%). The adjusted transition hazard ratio for stress UI and urgency UI was 2.06 (95% CI: 1.73-2.92) and 1.85 (95% CI: 1.63-2.57) respectively compared with mixed UI., Conclusion: The substantially higher transition from stress UI and urgency UI to mixed UI supports the hypothesis that mixed UI might represent a more advanced stage of UI that may have implications for understanding disease progression.

Introduction: Various authors argued that the voiding urgency component in mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) is different than urge urinary incontinence (UUI). In this last case they suggest that incontinence in MUI could be overdiagnosed in patients with SUI, misunderstanding the leak as UUI., Objetives: To evaluate clinical and urodynamic characteristics of patients with MUI and pure UUI., Methods: A retrospective study of our urodynamics database was performed evaluating 450 women with MUI and UUI. Patients with neurogenic bladder, fistulae, urethral diverticula, previous urogynecologic surgery, known infravesical obstruction, previous pelvic radiotherapy, urinary tract infection or psychiatric drugs intake. A full clinical history, physical exam, uroflowmetry, filling cystometry and pressure flow study were performed., Results: There is no difference relative to age, menopause and number of births. The presence of nocturia was bigger in the UUI group (66.4% vs. 46.1%, p 0.0004) the same as increased voiding frequency (53.6% vs. 34.6%, p 0.0006). The presence of urethral hypermobility and SUI in the physical exam was greater than MUI, meanwhile the presence of reduced vaginal trophism was bigger in the UUI group. Differences in sensibility or specificity were not found. The presence of overactive detrusor was 56.4% in pure UUI vs. 33.2% in MUI (p<0.0001). No differences in pressure flow study were found., Conclusions: There is a significant difference in the clinical and urodynamic parameters between patients with MUI and pure UUI. The urgency in patients with pure UUI could be related to overactive detrusor. It is probable that many patients with MUI just have pure SUI which could lead to positive effects in the outcomes of anti-incontinence surgery.

Background: Urinary urgency is the primary symptom of overactive bladder (OAB). This study aimed to identify targets for effective intervention to delay progression of urinary urgency., Material and Methods: Secondary analyses of data from a study conducted with female employees of a large academic medical center were conducted. Women were ≥18 years and nonpregnant at the time of the survey. An online questionnaire obtained demographic information, presence of lower urinary tract symptoms, and toileting behaviors. Bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression were applied to explore factors related to different stages of urinary urgency., Results: Four stages of urinary urgency were constructed: (1) Stage 1: no urinary symptoms (n = 20), (2) Stage 2: continent but urinary urgency reported (n = 19), (3) Stage 3: nonsevere urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) (incontinent but leakage ≤1/day, n = 74); and (4) Stage 4: severe UUI (leakage ≥1/day, n = 26). In multivariate analyses, older women were more likely to be in Stage 3 than in Stage 2 (aOR 1.053, 95% CI 1.012-1.096). Women who lost urine with defecation were more likely to be in Stage 4 than Stage 3 (aOR 3.828, 95% CI 1.921-7.629). Women who habitually strained to empty the bladder faster were more likely to be in Stage 4 than in Stage 3 (aOR 6.588, 95% CI 1.317-32.971)., Conclusions: Losing urine with defecation and making the bladder empty faster by pushing down should be explored as intervention targets to prevent women from progressing from Stage 3 to Stage 4.

Background: Hereditary spastic paraparesis (HSP) is a group of rare genetic disorders affecting the central nervous system. Pure HSP is limited to lower limb spasticity and urinary voiding dysfunction. Complex HSP involves additional neurological features. Beyond the described core symptoms, knowledge about the burden of disease for adults with HSP is limited, particularly regarding gastrointestinal functions, fecal incontinence, and urinary symptoms., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional self-report survey with 108 adult HSP patients (M age  = 57.7 years, SD = 11.5, range 30 to 81; 54.2% females) recruited from a national HSP user group association and a national (non-clinical) advisory unit for rare disorders. HSP data was compared to data from a Norwegian population study, HUNT-3 (N = 46,293)., Results: The HSP group reported more gastrointestinal and urinary complaints compared to controls. Gastrointestinal complaints included at least "much" complaints with constipation (14.6%) and alternating constipation/diarrhea (8.0%), and at least daily uncontrollable flatulence (47.6%), fecal incontinence (11.6%), and inability to hold back stools (38.5%). Urinary complaints included frequent urination (27.4% > 8 times daily), sudden urge (51.9%) and urinary incontinence (30.5% at least daily/nightly)., Conclusion: This survey of adults with HSP recruited from non-clinical settings showed constipation, alternate constipation and diarrhea, fecal incontinence, and voiding dysfunction represent considerable problems for many persons with HSP. Health care providers should screen and manage often unrecognized gastrointestinal and fecal incontinence complaints among HSP patients.

Background: Overactive bladder is a chronic condition affecting lower urinary tract function that has a significant negative impact on QoL., Objective: Evaluation of the BlueWind implantable tibial nerve system performance and safety in refractory OAB., Design, Setting, and Participants Intervention: A 6-month multi-center prospective intervention study., Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: Objective assessment was done by voiding diary parameters including voids/day, volume voided/day, urgency assessment, leaking episodes/day, pads used/day, leak severity, and clinical success defined as a ≥50% reduction in the number of leaks/day or number of voids/day or number of episodes with degree of urgency >2 or a return to <8 voids/day on a 3 Day diary. Subjective assessment was based on OAB-q including HRQL and symptom severity score. Safety was evaluated by adverse event (AE) analysis., Results and Limitations: Thirty-four of the 36 implanted subjects completed the study. One subject withdrew voluntarily and one developed inflammation necessitating removal of the system. In the remaining subjects, 71% experienced clinical success at 6 months. Leaks/day, leak severity, and pad changes/day decreased significantly over time with 27.6% of urge incontinence subjects that became "dry." Voids/day, degree of urgency, volume/void, pads changed improved significantly. All quality of life aspects (concern, coping, sleep, and social) improved as well as symptom severity scores measured by the OAB-q. Adverse events included: implant site pain (13.9%), suspected infection (22.2%), and procedural wound complications (8.3%)., Conclusions: The BlueWind implantable tibial nerve stimulator is a safe, minimally invasive system that affords OAB patients significant improvements., Patient Summary: The performance and safety of the BlueWind RENOVA™ implantable tibial nerve neuromodulator for OAB was tested. Our preliminary results demonstrate that the system has a low risk safety profile and may be considered an effective treatment option for OAB management., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)