Bladder sensitivity testing using a visual analogue scale: comparative cystometric study on women

Aerobic physical exercise versus dual-task cognitive walking in cognitive rehabilitation of people with stroke: a randomized clinical trial

Introduction

Stroke is a neurological deficit caused by an acute focal injury to the central nervous system due to vascular injury that can result in loss of neurological function, lasting brain damage, long-term disability and, in some cases, death. The literature reports that aerobic physical exercise, as well as dual-task cognitive walking, are used for the cognitive recovery of people with stroke. We aimed to assess whether aerobic physical exercise influences post-stroke cognitive recovery, namely performance on selective and sustained attention. We tested the hypothesis that post-stroke aerobic physical exercise leads to more significant gains than post-stroke dual-task cognitive walking.

Methods

We used a Randomized Clinical Trial, single-blind, parallel group, to verify the existence of differences between two groups. A total of 34 patients with subacute to chronic stroke were divided into two groups to train three times a week for 12 weeks: the aerobic physical exercise (PE) group engaged in 20 min on a treadmill, 20 min on a stationary bicycle and 5 min on a desk bike pedal exerciser per session; the dual-task (DT) gait exercise group walked for 45 min while simultaneously performing cognitive tasks per session. All participants were assessed on cognitive functioning with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and d2 Test of Attention before acute interventions and post interventions. We have also applied a Visual Analog Scale to monitor the participants' perceived difficulty, pre-, post-acute, and post-chronic interventions. Participants also responded to a Borg Scale of perceived exertion following the acute and the final session of chronic training.

Results

A mixed model ANOVA revealed a significant interaction effect with a large effect size for most of the cognitive variables under study. The variables associated with the d2 Test of Attention showed significant differences between the groups, mainly from T0 to T2. Also for MMSE, an ANOVA revealed a significant interaction effect with significant improvements from T0 to T2. Our results strongly suggest that aerobic physical exercise is more beneficial than dual-task cognitive-gait exercise since in the PE group, cognitive attention scores increase, and cognitive impairment and perception of exertion decrease, compared to the DT group.

Conclusion

These findings support that PE provides more significant benefits for patients post-stroke when compared to DT.

Alkalinized lidocaine solution as a first-line local anesthesia protocol for intradetrusor injection of onabotulinum toxin A: Results from a double-blinded randomized controlled trial

AIMS

Local anesthesia protocols for intradetrusor onabotulinum toxin A (BoNTA) injection lack standardization. We aimed to determine if an alkalinized lidocaine solution is more effective than lidocaine only.

METHODS

Patients of both genders aged 18 or above enlisted for intradetrusor BoNTA injection (idiopathic, neurogenic, and bladder pain syndrome) were included in a double-blinded randomized controlled trial after obtaining their informed consent. All participants filled a bladder diary and a urine culture was performed. Subjects were randomized 1:1 to Protocol A (20 ml 2% lidocaine + 10 ml 8.4% sodium bicarbonate) or Protocol B (20 ml 2% lidocaine + 10 ml 0.9% saline solution). A Numeric Rating Scale (0-10) was used to assess the level of pain immediately after the procedure (primary endpoint). Secondary endpoints included pain after 1 h, urinary tract infection, acute urinary retention, and hematuria related to the procedure.

RESULTS

A total of 116 patients were randomized. Baseline characteristics (age, sex, indication, and bladder diary parameters) of patients in Group A and B were similar. Pain scores at the end of the procedure were significantly lower with the alkalinized solution (Protocol A and B, respectively, 2.37 ± 0.31 vs. 4.44 ± 0.36, p < .01). No differences were observed 1 h after treatment (Protocol A and B, respectively, 0.54 ± 0.17 vs. 0.69 ± 0.19, p = .487). The only adverse event reported was mild-to-moderate self-limited hematuria in 15.4% of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of an alkalinized lidocaine solution has proven to be significantly superior to lidocaine only as local anesthesia before intradetrusor BoNTA injection, suggesting that this may be considered a first-line option.

Unintentional body movement parameters and pulse rate variability parameters are associated with the desire to void

Urinary incontinence is highly prevalent in elderly populations with physical and cognitive impairment. For the assessment and care of urinary incontinence, the desire to void is important. We have developed a bed sensor system that non-invasively and unconstrainedly measures the parameter changes of unintentional body movements. This study is aimed to evaluate the validity of measurement by the sensor system and parameters in healthy adults. We conducted experiments on 29 healthy adult volunteers. The parameters were unintentional body movement derived from changes in center of gravity and pulse rate variability (PRV) based on pulse wave measurements using a finger probe; further the relationship between the desire to void and measured parameters were examined. The body movement parameters at the buttock and thigh were associated with the desire to void (p < 0.050). All the PRV parameters trended significantly with desire to void as well (p < 0.050). The parameters achieved sensitivities of 0.18-0.88 in estimating strong desire to void, and 7 among 14 sensitivity measurements included in the receiver operating characteristic analysis exceeded 0.70. The body movement parameters and PRV parameters were useful in the estimation of the desire to void in healthy adults. To achieve accurate estimation, a combination of the PRV parameters and body movement parameters is required.

Methods of assessing and recording bladder sensation: a review of the literature

Introduction and hypothesis

The objective was to review different methods that have been used to assess bladder sensation and to provide an overview of the accuracy and objectivity of the measurement of the subjective perception of the bladder.

Methods

The MEDLINE and PubMed databases were searched to identify articles. References from those articles were also searched. Terms used for the search were: urinary bladder, sensation, cystometry, urodynamics, urinary incontinence and focus group. Eight hundred and fifty abstracts were identified from databases, and 12 from other sources. Twenty-two duplicate articles were removed. Irrelevant articles were excluded after reading their titles. Fifty-four articles were eligible, but 17 were excluded after reading the full text, leaving 37 articles where assessment of bladder sensation was the main aim.

Results

Six different methods of measuring bladder sensation have been described in the literature. Although the most frequently used was cystometry, this is an invasive tool and does not reproduce bladder behaviour during daily life because it records bladder sensation as episodic events. The visual analogue scale using a forced diuresis protocol seemed to be an excellent tool. It was non-invasive and evaluated bladder sensation continuously, from an empty to a full bladder.

Conclusions

In some of the studies, the samples were too small to draw any significant conclusions. There were also conflicting data on which tool was the most accurate, especially as each method of evaluating bladder sensation may influence the way it is described by participants.

Validation of a water-load protocol to define the pattern of bladder sensation

Introduction and hypothesis

The aim of this study was to confirm reliability of a water-load diuresis protocol and to assess the utility of bladder sensation curves.

Methods

For confirmation of fixed diuresis rate (phase 1), 12 volunteers consumed 250–300 ml of water every 15 min and recorded bladder sensation on a visual analogue scale (VAS) every 5 min to maximum sensation over two filling cycles: voids 1 and 2 (V1 and V2). The test was performed twice. For test–retest validation (phase 2), 24 participants underwent the same protocol drinking 300 ml of water every 15 min. Diuresis rates and voided volumes were compared between cycles and across tests.

Results

In phase 1, there was no difference in median void volume (V1 735 ml, V2 678 ml p = 0.433) or median diuresis rates (V2 12.1 ml/min, V3 14.4 ml/min p = 0.136) between cycles. When comparing those who drank 250–300 ml/15 min, there was less variability in those drinking 300-ml aliquots, so this was standardised for later experiments; 95% upper confidence limit of variability of the diuresis rate was calculated as 4.5 ml/min. Any test with a greater difference was rejected as invalid. In phase 2, only 16 participants were analysed. There was no difference in median void volumes between tests [V1 763 ml and 820 ml (p = 0.109) and V2 788 ml and 796 ml (p = 0.266)] or in diuresis rates between test 1 (12.33 ml/min) and 2 (14.40 ml/min) (p = 0.056). Median area under the curve was similar between test 1 404.96 and test 2 418.63.

Conclusions

This refined protocol reliably produced stable diuresis with a water load of 300 ml/15 min, excluding those with a difference in diuresis rate > 4.5 ml/min.

[Clinical and paraclinical evaluations of bladder sensitivity. Review of the literature]

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this work was to carry out a review of the literature on the clinical and paraclinical evaluation of bladder sensory (BS) to better understand BS disorders in nonneurological patients.

METHODS

Thirty-three articles were selected from the Medline(®) Database between 1992 and 2012 using the following key words: "sensory/sensitivity bladder evaluation", "sensory/sensitivity bladder scale", "sensory/sensitivity bladder questionnaire", "urodynamic bladder sensory", "urgency questionnaire" and "Overactive Bladder (OAB) questionnaire".

RESULTS

Evaluation of BS by asking questions during cystometry is validated (LE 2). The sensation of the desire to void progresses linearly with bladder filling (LE 2). Many symptoms and quality of life questionnaires related to BS anomalies have been proposed. Bladder diaries, frequency/volume curves (LE 2) and clinical algorithms (LE 3) could be an alternative to evaluate BS.

CONCLUSION

Current evaluation only provides a partial view of BS. A multidimensional approach should lead to better understanding of BS disorders.

Urodynamic studies for management of urinary incontinence in children and adults

BACKGROUND

Urodynamic tests are used to investigate people who have urinary incontinence or other urinary symptoms in order to make a definitive, objective diagnosis. The aim is to help select the treatment most likely to be successful. The investigations are invasive and time consuming.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this review was to determine if treatment according to a urodynamic-based diagnosis, compared to treatment based on history and examination, led to more effective clinical care of people with urinary incontinence and better clinical outcomes.The intention was to test the following hypotheses in predefined subgroups of people with incontinence:(i) urodynamic investigations improve the clinical outcomes;(ii) urodynamic investigations alter clinical decision making;(iii) one type of urodynamic test is better than another in improving the outcomes of management of incontinence or influencing clinical decisions, or both.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Incontinence Group Specialised Register, which contains trials identified from the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE and MEDLINE In-Process, handsearching of journals and conference proceedings (searched 19 February 2013), and the reference lists of relevant articles.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised and quasi-randomised trials comparing clinical outcomes in groups of people who were and were not investigated using urodynamics, or comparing one type of urodynamic test against another were included. Trials were excluded if they did not report clinical outcomes.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data.

MAIN RESULTS

Eight trials involving around 1100 people were included but data were only available for 1036 women in seven trials, of whom 526 received urodynamics. There was some evidence of risk of bias. The four deaths and 12 dropouts in the control arm of one trial were unexplained.There was significant evidence that the tests did change clinical decision making. Women in the urodynamic arms of three trials were more likely to have their management changed (proportion with change in management compared with the control arm 17% versus 3%, risk ratio (RR) 5.07, 95% CI 1.87 to 13.74), although there was statistical heterogeneity. There was evidence from two trials that women treated after urodynamic investigations were more likely to receive drugs (RR 2.09, 95% CI 1.32 to 3.31). On the other hand, in five trials women undergoing treatment following urodynamic investigation were not more likely to undergo surgery (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.12).There was no statistically significant difference however in the number of women with urinary incontinence if they received treatment guided by urodynamics (37%) compared with those whose treatment was based on history and clinical findings alone (36%) (for example, RR for the number with incontinence after the first year 1.02, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.21). It was calculated that the number of women needed to treat was 100 women (95% CI 86 to 114 women) undergoing urodynamics to prevent one extra individual being incontinent at one year.One trial reported adverse effects and no significant difference was found (RR 1.10, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.50).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

While urodynamic tests did change clinical decision making, there was some evidence that this did not result in better outcomes in terms of a difference in urinary incontinence rates after treatment. There was no evidence about their use in men, children, or people with neurological diseases. Larger definitive trials are needed in which people are randomly allocated to management according to urodynamic findings or to management based on history and clinical examination to determine if performance of urodynamics results in higher continence rates after treatment.

Urodynamic studies for management of urinary incontinence in children and adults

BACKGROUND

Urodynamic tests are used to investigate people who have urinary incontinence or other urinary symptoms in order to make a definitive objective diagnosis. The aim is to help to select the treatment most likely to be successful. The investigations are invasive and time consuming.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this review was to discover if treatment according to a urodynamic-based diagnosis, compared to treatment based on history and examination, led to more effective clinical care of urinary incontinence and better clinical outcomes.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Incontinence Group Specialised Trials Register, which contains trials identified from the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE and CINAHL, and handsearching of journals and conference proceedings (searched 24 May 2011), and the reference lists of relevant articles.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised and quasi-randomised trials comparing clinical outcomes in groups of people who were and were not investigated using urodynamics, or comparing one type of urodynamics against another. Trials were excluded if they did not report clinical outcomes.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two reviewers independently assessed trial quality and extracted data.

MAIN RESULTS

Seven small trials involving around 400 people were included but data were only available for 385 women in five trials, of whom 197 received urodynamics. There was some evidence of risk of bias. The four deaths and 12 dropouts in the control arm of one trial were unexplained.There was some evidence that the tests did change clinical decision making. There was evidence from two trials that women treated after urodynamic investigations were more likely to receive drugs (RR 2.09, 95% CI 1.32 to 3.31) but not, in three trials, surgery (RR 1.75, 95% CI 0.39 to 7.75). Women in the urodynamic arms of two trials were more likely to have their management changed but this did not quite reach statistical significance (proportion with no change in management 76% versus 99%, RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.57 to 1.10).However, there was not enough evidence to demonstrate whether or not this resulted in a clinical benefit. For example there was no statistically significant difference in the number of women with urinary incontinence if they received treatment guided by urodynamics (70%) versus those whose treatment was based on history and clinical findings alone (62%) (e.g. RR for number with incontinence after first year 1.23, 95% CI 0.60 to 2.55).No trials reported whether or not there were any adverse effects.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

While urodynamic tests may change clinical decision making, there was not enough evidence to suggest whether this would result in better clinical outcomes. There was no evidence abut their use in men, children or people with neurological diseases. Larger definitive trials are needed, in which people are randomly allocated to management according to urodynamic findings or to standard management based on history and clinical examination.

On the nature of bladder sensation: the concept of sensory modulation

AIMS

Going to the toilet is an essential everyday event. Normally, we do not give much thought to the sensations and factors that trigger voiding behavior: we just go. For many people, this apparently simple task is complicated and dominates their life. They have strong sensations and sudden desires to void, often resulting in incontinence. It is therefore important that we understand the origins for this functional change and identify means to alleviate it.

METHODS

Literature survey.

RESULTS

A considerable body of work has focused on this problem and ideas and concepts on the nature of bladder sensations are embedded in the literature. In this paper we argue the necessity to return to first principles and a re-examination of the problem. We explore the use of focus groups to identify relevant bladder sensation and what triggers 'bladder' behavior. We argue that there are differences in what can be described as 'introspective bladder sensations' and the sensations reported immediately before a void, 'void sensations'. Finally, we propose an alternative model describing how peripheral information generating 'introspective sensations' and 'void sensations' might be different but interrelated sensations. By exploring such ideas and identifying such complexity it is our intention to stimulate debate and generate further research in the field in order to understand better the physiology of bladder sensation and the pathology of increased urge, frequency and incontinence.

CONCLUSIONS

Review of the literature on bladder sensation and the established ideas suggests that we might be missing something and the problem of normal and increased sensation and of urgency may be much more complex.