Multi-center randomized controlled trial of cognitive treatment, placebo, oxybutynin, bladder training, and pelvic floor training in children with functional urinary incontinence

Efficacy and safety of solifenacin combined with biofeedback in children with overactive bladder

BACKGROUND

Overactive bladder is a common chronic urological disorder in children, liable to impact normal social activities, disrupt sleep and even impair self-esteem. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of solifenacin combined with biofeedback for paediatric overactive bladder.

METHOD

Forty-five children with overactive bladder were enrolled and divided into three groups: 15 patients in Group A were treated with solifenacin, 15 cases in Group B with biofeedback, and the other 15 patients in Group C with the combination of solifenacin plus biofeedback. Each group was subdivided into the non-urge incontinence (non-UI) and urge incontinence (UI) groups. The remission rates were compared among the three groups at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks from the beginning of treatment. The side effects of solifenacin were recorded and followed up.

RESULT

After 2 weeks since initial treatment, the complete response rates were 33.3% (5/15), 20.0% (3/15), and 53.3% (8/15) in the three groups. At 4 weeks, the complete remission rates were 46.7% (7/15), 33.3% (5/15), and 60.0% (9/15) respectively. Moreover, the complete remission rates of the UI groups were higher than the non-UI groups (p < 0.05). At 8 weeks, the complete response rates were 53.3% (8/15), 40.0% (6/15), and 67.7% (10/15). At 12 weeks, the complete response rates were 67.8% (10/15), 60.0% (9/15), and 86.7% (13/15). The complete response rates were higher and urodynamic parameters were improved obviously in group C than the other two groups (p < 0.05) during the follow-ups. The median voiding frequency decreased and median functional bladder capacity increased obviously in Group C after 4 weeks (p < 0.05). Dry mouth was observed in 2 patients (4.4%). 2 patients experienced constipation (4.4%), and neither case was severe. The symptoms of these four patients had relieved by reducing the dose of solifenacin.

CONCLUSION

Solifenacin combined with biofeedback had good efficacy and compliance for children experiencing overactive bladder. It took only 2 weeks to achieve the complete response rate over 50%, especially for the improvement of UI symptoms.

Urodynamic findings in children with primary refractory nocturnal enuresis: 10 years' experience of a tertiary center

Background/Aim

To identify correlations between urodynamic study (UDS) findings and urinary symptoms in children with refractory monosymptomatic and nonmonosymptomatic primary nocturnal enuresis.

Materials and Methods

A total of 96 neurologically normal children were enrolled, 44 consecutive boys and 51 consecutive girls, aged 5-18 years, of whom 41 (38.8%) had refractory monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (MNE) and 55 (61.2%) had refractory non-MNE (NMNE). We assessed the urodynamics of all children to detect any underlying bladder overactivity. A comparative analysis was carried out between the two groups of patients.

Results

Detrusor overactivity (DO), low bladder capacity, low compliance, and increased postvoid residual (PVR) were identified in 70 (72.9%), 35 (36.5%), 43, and 76 (79.2%) patients, respectively. The mean bladder compliance was 21.66 ± 14.52 mL/cmH2O (2-75 cmH2O). Of the NMNE patients, 50 (90.9%) had abnormal urodynamic findings, while 40 (97.5%) had abnormal urodynamic findings in the MNE group. There was a statistically significant relationship between NMNE and both increased PVR and abnormal voiding patterns. Both high PVR and DO were significantly associated with obstructive urinary symptoms. Constipation and history of urinary tract infection (UTI) did not significantly correlate with UDS abnormality (p = 1.0 and p = 0.49, respectively).

Conclusion

There was a high prevalence of bladder function disorders in both refractory MNE and NMNE patients in our study. This included small functional capacity, low bladder compliance, and marked DO. A nocturnal enuresis may be the only presenting symptom, however, it may be associated with bladder overactivity, UTI, and constipation; the UDS findings may aid in guiding the assessment and treatment of children suffering from primary refractory nocturnal enuresis and its association with bladder and bowel symptoms.

[Functional (Nonorganic) Enuresis and Daytime Urinary Incontinence in Children and Adolescents: Clinical Guideline for Assessment and Treatment]

Functional (Nonorganic) Enuresis and Daytime Urinary Incontinence in Children and Adolescents: Clinical Guideline for Assessment and Treatment Abstract: Objective: Enuresis and daytime urinary incontinence are common disorders in children and adolescents and are associated with incapacitation and a high rate of comorbid psychological disorders. This interdisciplinary guideline summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding somatic and psychiatric assessment and treatment. We formulate consensus-based, practical recommendations. Methods: The members of this guideline commission consisted of 18 professional associations. The guideline results from current literature searches, several online surveys, and consensus conferences based on standard procedures. Results: According to the International Children's Continence Society (ICCS), there are four different subtypes of nocturnal enuresis and nine subtypes of daytime urinary incontinence. Organic factors first have to be excluded. Clinical and noninvasive assessment is sufficient in most cases. Standard urotherapy is the mainstay of treatment. If indicated, one can add specific urotherapy and pharmacotherapy. Medication can be useful, especially in enuresis and urge incontinence. Psychological and somatic comorbid disorders must also be addressed. Conclusions: The recommendations of this guideline were passed with a high consensus. Interdisciplinary cooperation is especially important, as somatic factors and comorbid psychological disorders and symptoms need to be considered. More research is required especially regarding functional (nonorganic) daytime urinary incontinence.

Urinary brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor as noninvasive biomarkers of overactive bladder in children

Introduction

Overactive bladder (OAB) is the most common urinary disorder and the leading cause of functional daytime intermittent urinary incontinence in children. The aim of this study was to determine whether urinary brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) concentrations, normalized to urine creatinine, could be used as biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment monitoring of OAB in children.

Materials and methods

Urine samples of 48 pediatric patients with OAB were collected at the start of anticholinergic therapy (baseline), at follow-up visits (3 and 6 months), and from 48 healthy controls. Urinary BDNF and NGF concentrations were determined by ELISA method (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) and Luminex method (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, USA). Differences of frequency between quantifiable analyte concentrations between subject groups were determined using Fisher’s exact test.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference between quantifiable analyte concentrations between patients at baseline and the control group for BDNF and NGF by either the ELISA or Luminex method (P = 1.000, P = 0.170, P = 1.000, and P = N/A, respectively). There was a statistically significant difference between quantifiable BDNF by the ELISA method between patients at baseline and complete success follow-up (P = 0.027), while BDNF by Luminex method and NGF by both methods were not statistically significant (P = 0.078, P = 0.519, and P = N/A, respectively).

Conclusions

This study did not demonstrate that urinary BDNF and NGF concentrations, can be used as biomarkers for diagnosis and therapy monitoring of OAB in children.

Study protocol for a parallel-group randomized controlled multi-center trial evaluating the additional effect of continuous ultrasound bladder monitoring in urotherapy for children with functional daytime urinary incontinence (SENS-U trial)

Background

Lower urinary tract dysfunction or functional urinary incontinence is a common condition with a prevalence up to 21% between 6 and 8 year-old children. It is associated with an impaired quality of life, lower self-esteem, and social stigmatization. Urotherapy is the first treatment of choice for functional daytime urinary incontinence (DUI) in children. Alarm therapy can be a part of urotherapy as it provides the child adequate feedback on wetting accidents. Current alarm systems notify either at a set interval or give a notification when wetting has already occurred to prompt the child to go to the toilet. These alarms do not teach the child the interpretation of the bladder sensation preceding wetting accidents. A new wearable bladder sensor, the SENS-U, recently became available. This is a relative small, wireless ultrasonic sensor, which continuously monitors bladder filling. The SENS-U is able to provide an alarm at the exact moment voiding is warranted. It facilitates the child to learn the sensation of bladder filling preceding voiding in an easier way, increasing the learning curve throughout treatment. Its additional effect in urotherapy on continence and cost-effectiveness is to be determined.

Methods/design

This is a multi-center clinical superiority parallel-group randomized controlled trial including a total of 480 children. Participants between 6 and 16 years of age with functional DUI in which urotherapy is offered as the next treatment of choice are eligible. Four centers, two academic hospitals, and two general care (peripheral) centers are participating. Participants will be randomized at a 1:1:1 ratio into three groups: urotherapy (care as usual), urotherapy with the SENS-U added for 3 consecutive weeks throughout the training, or urotherapy with a SHAM device for 3 weeks. The primary outcome is number of wetting accidents per week after 3 months of training, compared between the SENS-U and the SHAM device. The magnitude of the placebo effect will be assessed by comparing the results of the SHAM group versus the control (care as usual) group.

Discussion

To our knowledge, this is the first trial studying not only the effect but also the cost-effectiveness of alarm interventions as commonly added in urotherapy.

Trial registration

ISRCTN44345202. Registered on March 2022

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-022-06600-6.

The effect of biofeedback treatment for children with non-neurogenic voiding dysfunction: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Children's non-neurogenic voiding dysfunction (NVD) is a syndrome characterized by lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTs) because of the inability to relax the external sphincter. Patients with NVD always suffer from urinary tract infections (UTI), incontinence, constipation. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of biofeedback treatment for children's NVD.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library database were searched for all relevant studies. Two independent reviewers decided whether to include the study, conducted quality evaluation, and extracted article data. A random-effects model was used to calculate overall effect sizes. Risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) served as the summary statistics for meta-analysis. And sensitivity analysis was subsequently performed.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies and 1274 patients were included in the systemic review, seven RCTs and 539 patients were included in meta-analysis. Meta-analysis showed efficacy of biofeedback treatment in following aspects, (1) relieving UTI (RR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.11 to 2.64), (2) reducing PVR (MD: 9.51, 95% CI: 2.03 to 16.98), (3) increasing maximum urine flow rate (MD: 4.28, 95% CI: 2.14 to 6.42) and average urine flow rate (MD: 1.49, 95% CI: 0.53 to 2.46), (4) relieving constipation (RR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.12 to 2.26)，(5) improving abnormal voiding pattern (RR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.30 to 2.36) and abnormal EMG during voiding (RR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.25 to 1.91). The improvement of UTI symptoms, maximum urine flow rate and average urine flow rate took a longer time (12 months). In terms of daytime incontinence (RR: 1.20, 95% CI [0.96, 1.50], p = 0.11), nighttime incontinence (RR: 1.20, 95% CI [0.62, 2.32], p = 0.58), no significant difference was found between biofeedback treatment and standard urotherapy. The qualitative analysis showed that biofeedback treatment was beneficial for NVD.

CONCLUSION

Compared with standard urotherapy, biofeedback treatment is effective for some symptoms, such as UTI and constipation, and can improve some uroflowmetric parameters, such as PVR. Biofeedback treatment seems to have a better long-term effect.

Comparison and characteristics of children successfully treated for daytime urinary incontinence

INTRODUCTION

Daytime urinary incontinence (DUI) is defined as an involuntary leakage of urine during daytime in children 5 years or older. It is a common disorder in the pediatric population most often caused by an overactive bladder (OAB). A stepwise approach is recommended in the treatment of DUI, with standard urotherapy (SU) being first line treatment followed by pharmacological treatment when SU is unsuccessful. To our knowledge few studies have compared patients achieving continence solely on urotherapy with patients achieving continence on a combination of urotherapy and pharmacological treatment in the pediatric population.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to characterize and compare children suffering from OAB and DUI who became continent solely on urotherapy with patients achieving continence on a combination of urotherapy and pharmacological treatment.

METHODS

All children successfully treated for DUI from 2015 to 2020 were retrospectively analyzed and compared using data from patient's records, 48-h flow-volume charts, and uroflowmetry analysis.

RESULTS

180 children were successfully treated for DUI. Of these 23 (13%) had bowel dysfunction, 94 (52%) were successfully treated with standard urotherapy (SU) and 64 (35%) needed pharmacological treatment. Children who achieved continence on a combination of SU and pharmacological treatment had a significantly higher baseline voiding frequency (7.6 and 6.5 respectively, p=0.007) and more baseline incontinence episodes during daytime when compared to children who became dry solely on urotherapy (2.2 and 1.1 respectively, p < 0.001). Both groups had a similar baseline age (p=0.96) and received a similar duration of standard urotherapy prior to the eventual pharmacological treatment (p = 0.73).

DISCUSSION

Most children achieved daytime continence solely on standard urotherapy. We found that children requiring additional pharmacological treatment to achieve continence suffer from a more severe overactive bladder. As such it could be speculated that children with high voiding frequencies and multiple daily incontinence episodes may benefit from adding anticholinergics to SU earlier during the course of treatment, than what is recommended by the International Children's Continence Society (ICCS) today. However prospective interventional studies are needed for safe conclusions.

CONCLUSION

Our comparison showed that children requiring a combination of SU and pharmacological treatment to achieve continence, had a significantly higher baseline voiding frequency and more baseline incontinence episodes when compared to children requiring only SU to achieve continence.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation as add-on therapy in children receiving anticholinergics and/or mirabegron for refractory daytime urinary incontinence: A retrospective cohort study

AIMS

To investigate if children with daytime urinary incontinence (DUI) and overactive bladder (OAB) refractory to standard urotherapy and medicinal treatment, would experience improvement in symptoms after add-on treatment with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).

METHODS

Children were retrospectively enrolled from tertiary referral centers at Aarhus and Aalborg University Hospitals. All data were retrieved from the patients' journals. All children were prescribed TENS as an add-on treatment to the highest-tolerable dose of medicinal treatment in a standardized regime of 2 h a day for around 3 months. Primary endpoints were the number of wet days per week (WDPW) and incontinence episodes per day. Effect of treatment was defined as greater or equal to 50% reduction in the frequency of DUI episodes. Secondary endpoints were to establish predictive factors for the effect of treatment using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Seventy-six children diagnosed with DUI and OAB refractory to treatment with standard urotherapy and pharmacological treatment, at the age of 5-16 years were included from February 2017 to February 2020. A reduction in WDPW (from 6.31 [5.86-6.61] to 4.27 [3.45-4.90], p < 0.05) and incontinence episodes per day (from 2.45 [1.98-2.91] to 1.43 [1.07-1.80], p < 0.05) was observed. Twelve patients became completely dry. At 6 months follow-up, seven of the 12 complete responders had relapsed while five remained dry. A history of constipation before TENS was a predictor of poor treatment response (p = 0.016).

CONCLUSIONS

TENS as add-on to anticholinergic treatment seems effective in a number of children with treatment-refractory DUI.

Can lockdown and homeschooling change the outcome of urotherapy for lower urinary tract dysfunction in children?

OBJECTIVE

Lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) are still important for both children and pediatric urologists. Urotherapy is recommended in LUTD treatment management. In our country, all citizens under the age of 20 were banned from going out of their homes due to Covid-19 and the homeschooling system has been adopted The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of lockdown and homeschooling on the effectiveness of urotherapy used for LUTD treatment.

METHODS

83 patients were included in the study group. Besides 306 patients were determined as the control group (pre-Covid). The patients in the study group and the control group were compared in terms of improvement in Dysfunctional voiding and incontinence scoring system (DVISS), quality of life scores, bladder diary, Bristol stool scale, and treatment responses at 3rd and 6th months.

RESULTS

The study group and control group were compared in terms of DVISS, voiding frequency and incontinence in the voiding diary, quality of life score, and Bristol stool scale at admission visit and the group characteristics were similar. During the 6th month visit, the mean DVISS of the study group was found to be significantly lower (7.12 ± 3.48; 8.58 ± 4.06 respectively (p 0.002)). Daily voiding frequency was similar in the study group and the control group during the 2nd and 3rd visit. The study group's mean number of daily incontinence was significantly lower at visit 3 (0.57 ± 0.9; 0.94 ± 0.27, respectively (p 0.02).After six months of treatment, 13.3% of the study group patients had a complete response, 44.6% had a partial response, whereas 42.2% non-responders. In the control group, the response rates were as 5.9%, 39.2% and 54.9% respectively (p 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

LUTD is still very common in pediatric urology. Standard urotherapy is widely used in treatment management. According to our results, the success of standard urotherapy increases with lockdown and homeschooling. We have shown that the success of standard urotherapy can be improved by regulating environmental conditions. In terms of LUTD management, environmental conditions can be regulated to provide a better quality of life and a better cure in a more economical way.

Endoscopic Botulinum Toxin Injection for Refractory Enuresis Based on Urodynamic Assessment

Purpose

This study aimed to determine the urodynamic characteristics of refractory enuresis and explored whether those characteristics can be managed through differential endoscopic injections with botulinum toxin.

Methods

In total, 27 patients with nonmonosymptomatic enuresis who showed no response after conservative treatment for more than 12 months were included. The patients then underwent a videourodynamic study and received a differential endoscopic injection of botulinum toxin on the same day. Reduced capacity, detrusor overactivity, and bladder neck widening were the 3 major abnormal findings assessed during the filling phase, while sphincter hyperactivity was the only abnormality assessed during the emptying phase. An intravesical or intrasphincteric injection of botulinum toxin was attempted according to the videourodynamic study findings. Follow-up was conducted at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment.

Results

The median age was 10 years (range, 7–31 years). Although 19 and 8 patients had a preoperative diagnosis of overactive bladder or dysfunctional voiding, respectively, the urodynamic diagnosis was different in more than half of the patients. Those showing detrusor overactivity benefited from intravesical botulinum toxin injection, whereas those with only sphincter hyperactivity benefited from both intravesical and intrasphincteric injections. Treatment resistance to botulinum toxin seemed to be attributable to bladder neck widening. Time had no apparent effect on efficacy, which persisted 6 months after the injection. More than 80% of the patients maintained the benefits of the injection after 1 year.

Conclusions

Videourodynamic studies were useful for identifying the reasons underlying refractory nonmonosymptomatic enuresis and helpful for determining the appropriate site of botulinum toxin injection.

EAU-ESPU guidelines recommendations for daytime lower urinary tract conditions in children

The objective is to review the literature related to lower urinary tract (LUT) conditions in children to conceptualize general practice guidelines for the general practitioner, pediatrician, pediatric urologist, and urologist. PubMed was searched for the last 15-year literature by the committee. All articles in peer-review journal-related LUT conditions (343) have been retrieved and 76 have been reviewed extensively. Prospective trials were few and the level of evidence was low. Most of the recommendations have been done by committee consensus after extensive discussion of literature reports. History taking is an integral part of evaluation assessing day- and nighttime urine and bowel control, urgency, and frequency symptoms. Exclusion of any neurogenic and organic cause is essential. Uroflowmetry and residual urine determination are recommended in all patients to evaluate bladder emptying. Urodynamic studies are reserved for refractory or complicated cases. Urotherapy that aims to educate the child and family about bladder and bowel function and guides them to achieve normal voiding and bowel habits should initially be employed in all cases except those who have urinary tract infections (UTI) and constipation. Specific medical treatment is added in the case of refractory overactive bladder symptoms and recurrent UTIs.Conclusion: Producing recommendations for managing LUTS in children based on high-quality studies is not possible. LUTS in children should be evaluated in a multimodal way by minimal invasive diagnostic procedures. Urotherapy is the mainstay of treatment and specific medical treatment is added in refractory cases.What is Known:• Symptoms of the lower urinary tract may have significant social consequences and sometimes clinical morbidities like urinary tract infections and vesicoureteral reflux. In many children, however, there is no such obvious cause for the incontinence, and they are referred to as having functional bladder problems.What is New:• This review aims to construct a practical recommendation strategy for the general practitioner, pediatrician, pediatric urologist, and urologist for LUTS in children. Producing recommendations for managing LUTS in children based on high-quality studies is not possible. LUTS in children should be evaluated in a multimodal way by minimal invasive diagnostic procedures. Urotherapy is the mainstay of treatment and specific medical treatment is added in refractory cases.

The pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of mirabegron in children and adolescents with neurogenic detrusor overactivity or idiopathic overactive bladder and development of a population pharmacokinetic model-based pediatric dose estimation

INTRODUCTION

Mirabegron, a selective β3-adrenoreceptor agonist, is a well-established alternative to antimuscarinics in adults with overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms and is under development for use in pediatric patients. Understanding drug pharmacokinetics (PK) in pediatric patients is needed to determine appropriate dosing. Conducting these studies is ethically complex, particularly as regulatory guidance requires that PK is assessed in pediatric patients with a therapeutic need for the drug. It is also vital to evaluate the safety/tolerability and palatability/acceptability of pediatric formulations.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the study was to characterize the PK of mirabegron in pediatric patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity or idiopathic OAB, to provide a basis for a weight-based dosing algorithm, and to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and palatability/acceptability of the formulations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A preliminary population PK model constructed from adult data with allometric scaling was used to predict single weight-adjusted mirabegron doses. This was developed to achieve exposures in pediatric patients in two phase 1 studies that were consistent with steady state in adults following once-daily 25 mg ('low dose') and 50 mg ('high dose') dosing. In study 1, adolescents (12-<18 years) and children (5-<12 years) received a single tablet under fed or fasted conditions. In study 2, children (3-<12 years) received a single oral suspension dose under fed conditions. The PK data were used to assess the predictive value of the preliminary PK model and to update it to analyze mirabegron PK in pediatric patients. The safety/tolerability and palatability/acceptability of the formulations were evaluated.

RESULTS

Forty-three patients comprised six study cohorts: adolescents, low-dose tablets, fed (n = 7); children, low-dose tablets, fed (n = 7); adolescents, high-dose tablets, fed (n = 8); children, high-dose tablets, fed (n = 6); children, high-dose tablets, fasted (n = 6); and children, high-dose oral suspension, fed (n = 9). The population PK model-based doses for tablets and oral suspension achieved exposures that were typically consistent with steady state in adults. The final population PK model was used to describe the PK for mirabegron in pediatric patients (Table). Both formulations were well tolerated, and there were no reports of bad taste or swallowing difficulties for the tablets, although some found the oral suspension unpleasant.

CONCLUSIONS

The single, weight-adjusted pediatric mirabegron doses were successfully predicted by population PK modeling to achieve drug exposures comparable with steady state in adults. The finalized PK model used to characterize the pediatric PK of mirabegron will be utilized to develop a weight-based dosing algorithm. The single mirabegron doses were well tolerated.

Current pharmacological management of idiopathic overactive bladder in children in the UK: a national survey of practice

BACKGROUND

Children with daytime urinary incontinence secondary to idiopathic overactive bladder (IOAB) commonly present to paediatric urologists following failure of standard urotherapy and/or 1st-line anticholinergics. Off-label oral medications and intravesical botulinum toxin A (BtA) are being increasingly used for treatment-refractory IOAB, despite the paucity of high-quality evidence and guidelines. Knowledge of contemporary paediatric urologists' practice allows specialists to keep up-to-date with current trends in the management of IOAB in children.

OBJECTIVES

1. To present an analysis of contemporary tertiary management of IOAB in children and 2. to highlight current trends in practice and identify areas of high variability in care for targeted research.

METHODS

Paediatric urologists (55 individuals) who attended the 2018 national British Association of Paediatric Urologists (BAPU) congress responded to a 20-question survey presented at the congress. Respondents could submit one answer per question, and one survey was taken per respondent, using secure software to disable any manipulation. Answers were analysed prospectively by a single reviewer.

RESULTS

Of UK paediatric urologists, 98% regularly manage children with IOAB, 48% use 48-h frequency/volume charts and others use three or seven-day bladder diaries to aid diagnosis. Oxybutynin is the 1st-line therapy for 85%, 2nd-line is tolterodine (53%), and 3rd-line is solifenacin (41%). Mirabegron is used either alone or in combination with solifenacin as 4th-line management by 55%. Those who use intravesical Botulinum toxin A (BtA) accounted for 81% and 84% of these perform invasive urodynamic assessment prior to BtA administration. Post-BtA, assessment was clinical in 18%, 24% use invasive urodynamics, whereas uroflowmetry is preferred by 58%. Of the paediatric urologists, 72% believe the most clinically significant outcome of treatment is patient-reported improvement. Treatment success is defined variably: 49% define success as completely dry, whereas 35% accept a 90% improvement as success.

CONCLUSIONS

Off-label medications are being used widely either alone or in combination by paediatric urologists. In oral therapy-resistant IOAB, BtA is being used by the majority of specialists, usually after formal urodynamic assessment. However, post-BtA assessment and evaluation of treatment success for IOAB are variable.

The effects of antimuscarinic agents on the activity of the cardiac autonomic nervous system in children with functional overactive bladder

BACKGROUND

Functional overactive bladder disorder is one of the most prevalent presentations of bladder and bowel dysfunction in children, and it is associated with lower overall cardiac autonomic and parasympathetic activity. Antimuscarinics are the most frequently used pharmacological agents for treatment of children with functional overactive bladder disorder; however, there is a gap in the literature in describing the effect of antimuscarinics on the autonomic profile of this population.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to assess the cardiac parasympathetic activity before and after 12 weeks of oxybutynin treatment in children with overactive bladder.

METHODS

This was a single-institution prospective cohort study. Cardiac autonomic activity was assessed during storage and voiding phases of the bladder function via spectral analysis of heart rate variability and impedance cardiography. The primary outcome measure was high frequency, a proxy for parasympathetic nervous system activity. Parameters of uroflow study, severity of symptoms, and quality of life outcomes were also assessed.

RESULTS

Ten children (7 females) diagnosed with overactive bladder with a median age of 10 years (range = 6-14) were followed up for a median treatment duration of 11.8 weeks (range = 6-19.4). After treatment, there was a significant reduction in high frequency during the storage phase (median change = -24.17%, p = 0.047). No change was observed in the other outcome measures except for the overall Symptom Score for Dysfunctional Elimination Syndrome after treatment (5-point decrease, p = 0.034) (Summary Table).

DISCUSSION

The findings of the present follow-up study suggest that the use of oxybutynin in children with overactive bladder is associated with a significant reduction in the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system. The clinical implications of this finding are important because similar autonomic profiles (as markers of chronic stress) have been shown to be associated with increased inflammation and are found in major chronic diseases. The authors caution making a clinical connection between the heart rate variability profile of the patients in this study and patients with chronic diseases because oxybutynin is usually not administered as long-term treatment for overactive bladder.

CONCLUSION

Use of oxybutynin was associated with reduction in cardiac parasympathetic activity of children with functional overactive bladder. Further investigation into the role of the autonomic nervous system as a treatment target in the management of these children is warranted.

Urotherapy in the treatment of children and adolescents with bladder and bowel dysfunction: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To identify and describe the protocols and clinical outcomes of urotherapy interventions in children and adolescents with bladder bowel dysfunction.

METHOD

Systematic review carried out in June 2018 on Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL),Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Cochrane Library, and PsycInfo databases. Clinical trials and quasi-experimental studies carried out in the last ten years in children and/or adolescents with bladder and bowel symptoms and application of at least one component of urotherapy were included.

RESULTS

Thirteen clinical trials and one quasi-experimental study were included, with moderate methodological quality. The heterogeneity of the samples and of the methodological design of the articles prevented the performance of a meta-analysis. The descriptive analysis through simple percentages showed symptom reduction and improvement of uroflowmetry parameters. The identified urotherapy components were: educational guidance, water intake, caffeine reduction, adequate voiding position, pelvic floor training, programmed urination, and constipation control/management.

CONCLUSION

This review indicates positive results in terms of symptom reduction and uroflowmetry parameter improvement with standard urotherapy as the first line of treatment for children and adolescents with bladder bowel dysfunction. It is recommended that future studies bring contributions regarding the frequency, number, and time of urotherapy consultations.

Pelvic floor rehabilitation in children with functional LUTD: does it improve outcome?

INTRODUCTION

If children do not experience satisfactory relief of lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) complaints after standard urotherapy is provided, other treatment options need to be explored. To date, little is known about the clinical value of pelvic floor rehabilitation in the treatment of functional voiding disorders.

OBJECTIVE

Therefore, we compared pelvic floor rehabilitation by biofeedback with anal balloon expulsion (BABE) to intensive urotherapy in the treatment of children with inadequate pelvic floor control and functional LUTD.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective chart study was conducted on children with functional incontinence and inadequate pelvic floor control. All children referred for both intensive inpatient urotherapy and pelvic floor rehabilitation between 2010 and 2018 were considered for inclusion. A total of 52 patients were eligible with 25 children in the group who received BABE before inpatient urotherapy, and 27 children in the group who received BABE subsequently to urotherapy. Main outcome measurement was treatment success according to International Children's Continence Society criteria measured after treatment rounds and follow-up.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics demonstrate no major differences between the BABE and control group. There was a significant difference in improvement between BABE and inpatient urotherapy after the first and second round of treatment (round 1: BABE vs urotherapy; 12% vs 70%, respectively, round 2: urotherapy vs BABE; 92% vs 34%, respectively, both P < .001). In both cases, the urotherapy group obtained greater results (Fig. 1). When the additional effect of BABE on urotherapy treatment is assessed, no significant difference is found (P = .355) in the children who received BABE; 30 (58%) showed improvement on pelvic floor control.

DISCUSSION

Our findings imply that training pelvic floor control in combination with inpatient urotherapy does not influence treatment effectiveness on incontinence. Intensive urotherapy contains biofeedback by real-time uroflowmetry; children receive direct feedback on their voiding behaviour. Attention offered to the child and achieving cognitive maturity with corresponding behaviour is of paramount importance. It is known that combining several kinds of biofeedback does not enhance the outcome. However, our results do not provide a conclusive answer to the effectiveness of pelvic floor physical therapy in the treatment of children with LUTD because we specifically investigated BABE.

CONCLUSION

In this study, we could not prove that pelvic floor rehabilitation by BABE has an additional effect on inpatient urotherapy on incontinence outcomes. Considering the invasive nature of BABE, the use of BABE to obtain continence should therefore be discouraged.

Conservative interventions for treating functional daytime urinary incontinence in children

BACKGROUND

In children, functional daytime urinary incontinence is the term used to describe any leakage of urine while awake that is not the result of a known underlying neurological or congenital anatomic cause (such as conditions or injuries that affect the nerves that control the bladder or problems with the way the urinary system is formed). It can result in practical difficulties for both the child and their family and can have detrimental effects on a child's well-being, education and social engagement.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of conservative interventions for treating functional daytime urinary incontinence in children.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Incontinence Specialised Register, which contains studies identified from CENTRAL, MEDLINE, MEDLINE In-Process, MEDLINE Epub Ahead of Print, CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO ICTRP and handsearching of journals and conference proceedings (searched 11 September 2018). We also searched Chinese language bibliographic databases: Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang. No language restrictions were imposed.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-randomised, multi-arm studies, cross-over studies and cluster-randomised studies that included children aged between 5 and 18 years with functional daytime urinary incontinence.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently screened records and determined the eligibility of studies for inclusion according to predefined criteria. Where data from the study were not provided, we contacted the study authors to request further information. Two review authors assessed risk of bias and processed included study data as described in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Where meta-analysis was possible, we applied random-effects meta-analysis using the Mantel-Haenszel method for dichotomous outcomes.

MAIN RESULTS

The review included 27 RCTs involving 1803 children. Of these, six were multi-arm and one was also a cross-over study. Most studies were small, with numbers randomised ranging from 16 to 202. A total of 19 studies were at high risk of bias for at least one domain. Few studies reported data suitable for pooling due to heterogeneity in interventions, outcomes and measurements.Individual conservative interventions (lifestyle, behavioural or physical) versus no treatmentTranscutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) versus sham (placebo) TENS. More children receiving active TENS may achieve continence (risk ratio (RR) 4.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.68 to 14.21; 3 studies; n = 93; low-certainty evidence).One individual conservative intervention versus another individual or combined conservative interventionPelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) with urotherapy versus urotherapy alone. We are uncertain whether more children receiving PFMT with urotherapy achieve continence (RR 2.36, 95% CI 0.65 to 8.53, 95% CI 25 to 100; 3 studies; n = 91; very low-certainty evidence).Voiding education with uroflowmetry feedback and urotherapy versus urotherapy alone. Slightly more children receiving voiding education with uroflow feedback and urotherapy may achieve continence (RR 1.13, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.45; 3 studies; n = 151; low-certainty evidence).Urotherapy with timer watch versus urotherapy alone. We are uncertain whether urotherapy plus timer watch increases the number of children achieving continence compared to urotherapy alone (RR 1.42, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.80; 1 study; n = 58; very low-certainty evidence).Combined conservative interventions versus other combined conservative interventionsTENS and standard urotherapy versus PFMT with electromyographic biofeedback and standard urotherapy. We are uncertain whether there is any evidence of a difference between treatment groups in the proportions of children achieving continence (RR 1.11, 95% CI 0.73 to 1.68; 1 study; n = 78; very low-certainty evidence).PFMT with electromyography biofeedback and standard urotherapy versus PFMT without feedback but with standard urotherapy. We are uncertain whether there is any evidence of a difference between treatment groups in the proportions of children achieving continence (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.52; 1 study; n = 41; very low-certainty evidence).Individual conservative interventions versus non-conservative interventions (pharmacological or invasive, combined or not with any conservative interventions)PFMT versus anticholinergics. We are uncertain whether more children receiving PFMT than anticholinergics achieve continence (RR 1.92, 95% CI 1.17 to 3.15; equivalent to an increase from 33 to 64 per 100 children; 2 studies; n = 86; very low-certainty evidence).TENS versus anticholinergics. We are uncertain whether there was any evidence of a difference between treatment groups in the proportions of children achieving continence (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.05 to 12.50; 2 studies; n = 72; very low-certainty evidence).Combined conservative interventions versus non-conservative interventions (pharmacological or invasive, combined or not with any conservative interventions)Voiding education with uroflowmetry feedback versus anticholinergics. We are uncertain whether there was any evidence of a difference between treatment groups in the proportion of children achieving continence (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.58 to 1.78; 1 study; n = 64; very low-certainty evidence).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The review found little reliable evidence that can help affected children, their carers and the clinicians working with them to make evidence-based treatment decisions. In this scenario, the clinical experience of individual clinicians and the support of carers may be the most valuable resources. More well-designed research, with well-defined interventions and consistent outcome measurement, is needed.

The complex relationship between urinary and defecatory disorders in young and adolescent girls

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Scientific advancements have led to enhanced clarity about the interrelationship between urinary tract pathology and functional bowel disturbances. The present article will review the current literature regarding the cause, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of lower urinary tract dysfunction and abnormal bowel habits in young and adolescent girls.

RECENT FINDINGS

Complex neurological, physiological mechanisms and functional behaviors exist that contribute to the development of coexisting urinary symptoms and defecatory disorders in young and adolescent girls. Bladder bowel dysfunction (BBD) in childhood and adolescence is carried into adulthood creating a lifetime health burden.

SUMMARY

Practitioners should be aware and actively screen for conditions mimicking BBD with time-efficient and effective history-taking and physical exams that reduce anxiety and fear. The present review provides guide to comprehensive treatment strategies for managing complex pelvic floor disorders including urinary incontinence, defecatory disorders, pelvic and perineal pain, and constipation. More research is needed to elucidate pathophysiology and optimal treatment strategies of the BBD.

Pelvic floor electrical stimulation and muscles training: a combined rehabilitative approach for management of non-neuropathic urinary incontinence in children

PURPOSE

To assess the efficacy of combined transcutaneous interferential (IF) electrical stimulation and pelvic floor muscle training through biofeedback on non-neuropathic urinary incontinence in children.

METHODS

This prospective study comprised of 46 anatomically and neurologically normal children (9 boys, 37 girls; mean age of 8.4 ± 2.2 years old) with non-neuropathic urinary incontinence. All children were evaluated by kidney and bladder ultrasounds, uroflowmetry with electromyography (EMG), a complete voiding diary and a dysfunctional voiding scoring questionnaire at the baseline. Children were randomly allocated into two treatment groups including group A (n = 23) who underwent biofeedback therapy in addition to IF electrical stimulation and group B (n = 23) who received only biofeedback therapy. Re-evaluation was performed 6 months and one year after completion of the treatment sessions.

RESULTS

Improvement of non-neuropathic urinary incontinence was significantly higher in group A in comparison to group B at two follow ups (P < 0.05). Daytime incontinence was improved in 19/23(82%) and 13/23(56.5%) of children in groups A and B respectively after the treatment (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in uroflowmetry measures between two groups after the treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Combination of biofeedback therapy and transcutaneous IF electrical stimulation is a potential effective modality in treating non-neuropathic urinary incontinence in children.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Type of study: Treatment study. Level I: Randomized controlled trials with adequate statistical power to detect differences (narrow confidence intervals) and follow up >80%.

Randomized clinical trials with run-in periods: frequency, characteristics and reporting

Background

Run-in periods are occasionally used in randomized clinical trials to exclude patients after inclusion, but before randomization. In theory, run-in periods increase the probability of detecting a potential treatment effect, at the cost of possibly affecting external and internal validity. Adequate reporting of exclusions during the run-in period is a prerequisite for judging the risk of compromised validity. Our study aims were to assess the proportion of randomized clinical trials with run-in periods, to characterize such trials and the types of run-in periods and to assess their reporting.

Materials and methods

This was an observational study of 470 PubMed-indexed randomized controlled trial publications from 2014. We compared trials with and without run-in periods, described the types of run-in periods and evaluated the completeness of their reporting by noting whether publications stated the number of excluded patients, reasons for exclusion and baseline characteristics of the excluded patients.

Results

Twenty-five trials reported a run-in period (5%). These were larger than other trials (median number of randomized patients 217 vs 90, P=0.01) and more commonly industry trials (11% vs 3%, P<0.01). The run-in procedures varied in design and purpose. In 23 out of 25 trials (88%), the run-in period was incompletely reported, mostly due to missing baseline characteristics.

Conclusion

Approximately 1 in 20 trials used run-in periods, though much more frequently in industry trials. Reporting of the run-in period was often incomplete, precluding a meaningful assessment of the impact of the run-in period on the validity of trial results. We suggest that current trials with run-in periods are interpreted with caution and that updates of reporting guidelines for randomized trials address the issue.

Pelvic floor biofeedback therapy in children: Assessment of symptom scores in responders and non-responders

INTRODUCTION

Pelvic Floor Biofeedback Therapy (PFBT) can be an effective treatment for pediatric lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Due to differing perceptions of efficacy and practice patterns, we sought to further evaluate PFBT in our practice. We hypothesized that PFBT results in quiescence of EMG activity during voiding and improves questionnaire scores in patients with LUTS.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed all patients undergoing PFBT and refined the analysis to females ≥6 years old with ≥2 sessions with completed voiding questionnaires pre- and post-treatment, active EMG during voiding, with non-neurogenic urinary tract complaints refractory to standard urotherapy. Validated Bladder Bowel Dysfunction (BBD) questionnaires were collected at each visit. Quiescence of EMG activity and changes in BBD score were the primary outcomes.

RESULTS

229 patients underwent ≥1 PFBT session, of which 64 females ≥6 years of age with ≥2 PFBT sessions and completed pre and post PFBT voiding questionnaires were identified. In this group, mean age at PFBT start was 10.1 (6.2-17.0). Patients completed 3.1 sessions (2-6). No difference was seen in post-void residual (PVR) between first and last session (23.8 vs 22.6 mL, P = 0.55). Median questionnaire score decreased from 18 (4-42) before to 13 (2-28) following PFBT (P < 0.0001). Responders, characterized by silencing of the EMG after PFBT, occurred in 31% (20/64). Non-responders were younger (P = 0.007) with higher pre-PFBT questionnaire scores.

CONCLUSION

The use of PFBT appears to result in a significant reduction in symptom scores, though quiescence of EMG was observed following therapy in less than 1/3 of patients.

Standard urotherapy as first-line intervention for daytime incontinence: a meta-analysis

According to the International Children's Continence Society (ICCS) guidelines for the treatment of daytime urinary incontinence (DUI) in children and adolescents, the first-line intervention for all types of DUI is standard urotherapy (SU). Despite this recommendation there is still no meta-analysis available on the effectiveness of SU. The aim of this study is to provide a meta-analytic evaluation of the intervention. This meta-analysis is based on Odds Ratios (OR) and consists of 26 patient samples out of 19 studies (N = 1609), collected from well-established medical databases. Remission rates after SU are compared to spontaneous remission rates, which are matched to the individual follow-up period. The meta-analysis shows that SU is an effective treatment of DUI. Compared to a spontaneous remission rate of 15.40% per year, urotherapy increases the probability to recover by a factor of 7.27 (6.57 if corrected for publication bias). After exclusion of three outlying samples this effect can be generalized for all types of SU and all patient populations. Moderator analyses cannot identify variables which significantly influence the variance of effect sizes. However, RCTs seem to be associated with lower effects, even when the control group is not considered for effect size calculation. Based on the present meta-analysis, SU is an effective intervention for treating DUI in children and adolescents. Of 100 patients in 1 year, approximately 56 patients (54 if corrected for publication bias) remit after being treated with SU, while only 15 out of 100 remit spontaneously. However, to further quantify the effect size of SU in comparison to spontaneous remission rates and other treatments, additional RCTs are still needed.

Biofeedback as single first-line treatment for non-neuropathic dysfunctional voiding children with diurnal enuresis

INTRODUCTION

Non-neurogenic dysfunctional voiding (NDV) accounts for a significant portion of pediatric urology outpatient clinic visits. Biofeedback (BF) is a promising, non-invasive modality for treating children with DV and daytime wetting. Our objective was to investigate BF's efficacy as a single first-line treatment for children with NDV and diurnal enuresis.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted with a total of 61 consecutive patient records from January 2009 to March 2016. All children with NDV who had BF as first-line treatment were included. Full urological histories, physical examinations, dysfunctional voiding symptom score (DVSS), urine analysis, ultrasound (US), and uroflowmetry (UFM), and electromyogram (EMG) were performed and recorded for all patients before and after finishing the last BF cycle. The patient's satisfaction scale was also obtained.

RESULTS

The mean age was 10±2.6 years. Most patients (80.3%) were females. The presenting symptoms were diurnal enuresis, urinary tract infections, and voiding discomfort in 52 (85.2%), 16 (26.2%), and 38 (62.3%) patients, respectively. Six months after the last BF cycle, there was a statistically significant objective improvement in US and UFM+EMG findings with the disappearance of EMG signals in 40 of 61 (65.5%) patients. There was also a significant subjective symptomatic improvement, as the mean DVSS had decreased from 14 to 7.9 (p=0.003). Forty-seven patients (77%) were satisfied, while only eight (13.1%) were not.

CONCLUSIONS

BF is considered a potentially effective, single first-line treatment modality for children with DV and diurnal enuresis. Long-term outcome assessments are needed to assess the children's compliance and symptom recurrence.

Clinical features of, and association of bladder ultrasound and uroflowmetry with, overactive bladder recovery period in children

BACKGROUND

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a symptomatic syndrome defined by urinary urgency, usually accompanied by increased urination frequency and nocturia, with or without urinary incontinence. The prevalence of pediatric OAB in 5-13 year olds is as high as 16.6%, but the pathophysiology and epidemiology have not been sufficiently elucidated.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed medical records in 117 children with OAB aged between 5 and 15 years during the years 2012-2016. At initial presentation, abdominal ultrasound and uroflowmetry were performed, and behavioral modifications, such as timed voiding, and constipation therapy were initiated. If there was no response after 4 weeks, antimuscarinic treatment was added. We evaluated the clinical features of OAB and factors related to the recovery period, which was defined as the period from the start of behavioral modifications to cure.

RESULTS

The average recovery period was 11.9 ± 9.73 months. There was no significant difference in the recovery period according to age, gender, percentage of urination frequency, nocturnal enuresis, or constipation. The recovery period was significantly shorter in the group with bladder wall thickness ≥5 mm than with bladder wall thickness <5 mm. Children with a tower-shaped curve on uroflowmetry had a significantly shorter recovery period than those with a bell-shaped curve.

CONCLUSIONS

Bladder wall thickness and uroflow curve shape are related to the recovery period of pediatric OAB.

Pharmacotherapy in overactive bladder

Overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) has a high prevalence within the population and has a negative effect on quality of life. Although the precise pathophysiology has yet to be fully elucidated, pharmacotherapeutic agents have been developed targeting two main pathways, antimuscarinic drugs and β3-adrenoreceptor agonists. Conservative management strategies, for example, bladder training, should be used as first-line treatment, with pharmacotherapy used as an adjunct if this is insufficiently effective. Antimuscarinics have a moderate effect on treating the symptoms of OAB, are associated with side effects, particularly dry mouth, and have low adherence rates in the long term. No single agent has consistently shown superiority over another. Antimuscarinics can affect cognition and may contribute to the anticholinergic burden in elderly patients. Mirabegron, a β3-agonist, appears to be as effective as antimuscarinics in improving symptoms of OAB with fewer side effects and improved adherence, and is currently recommended if treatment with antimuscarinics has failed. A combination of an antimuscarinic and β3-agonist may be worth considering if symptoms remain refractory or to reduce the side-effect profile associated with higher doses of antimuscarinics.

Level of evidence: Not applicable.

Childhood Bladder and Bowel Dysfunction Questionnaire: Development, Feasibility, and Aspects of Validity and Reliability

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to develop a questionnaire evaluating the frequency of symptoms over time of concomitant childhood bladder and bowel dysfunctions (CBBDs) in 5- to 12-year-old children and to assess its feasibility and aspects of validity and reliability.

METHODS

The Childhood Bladder and Bowel Dysfunction Questionnaire (CBBDQ) was developed in phases according to COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) in cooperation with epidemiologists, pediatricians, physiotherapists (phases 1 and 5), and professional translators (phase 5): selection of items (Delphi-method), content validity (pilot), feasibility (interviews), structural validity and internal consistency (field testing), and guideline-based translation (Dutch-English). Participants were parents of children, ages 5 to 12 years (phases 2-4).

RESULTS

Parents of 1333 children (mean age 7.8 years [standard deviation 2.1]) were included. Most common were urinary incontinence (35.9%), enuresis (29.7%), and constipation/fecal incontinence (30.1%). Concomitant CBBD was seen in 74.2% of 1229 children. Originally, a 27-item CBBDQ was developed. After the pilot (48 parents) a 23-item version remained for evaluation of feasibility aspects by interviewing 56 parents. Based on 1229 completed questionnaires during field testing, the CBBDQ reduced to 18 items. Cronbach α values were 0.74 and 0.71 for bladder and bowel subscales, respectively. Feasibility and aspects of validity and reliability were satisfactory. A definitive and accepted English version of the CBBDQ is available.

CONCLUSIONS

When completed by parents, the 18-item evaluative CBBDQ appears feasible, content, and structurally valid with good internal consistency for the bladder and bowel subscales. The Dutch and English versions will be introduced clinically and subjected to further psychometric evaluation.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Combined with Oxybutynin is Superior to Monotherapy in Children with Urge Incontinence: A Randomized, Placebo Controlled Study

PURPOSE

We evaluated whether combination therapy with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and oxybutynin results in a superior treatment response compared to either therapy alone in children with urge incontinence.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this placebo controlled study 66 children with a mean ± SD age of 7.3 ± 1.6 years who were diagnosed with urge incontinence were randomized to 3 treatment groups. Group 1 consisted of 22 children undergoing transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation plus active oxybutynin administration. Group 2 included 21 children undergoing active transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation plus placebo oxybutynin administration. Group 3 consisted of 23 children undergoing active oxybutynin administration plus placebo transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. The children received active or placebo transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation over the sacral S2 to S3 outflow for 2 hours daily in combination with 5 mg active or placebo oxybutynin twice daily. The intervention period was 10 weeks. Primary outcome was number of wet days weekly. Secondary outcomes were severity of incontinence, frequency, maximum voided volume over expected bladder capacity for age, average voided volume over expected bladder capacity for age and visual analogue scale score.

RESULTS

Combination therapy was superior to oxybutynin monotherapy, with an 83% greater chance of treatment response (p = 0.05). Combination therapy was also significantly more effective than transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation monotherapy regarding reduced number of wet days weekly (mean difference -2.28, CI -4.06 to -0.49), severity of incontinence (-3.11, CI -5.98 to -0.23) and daily voiding frequency (-2.82, CI -4.48 to -1.17).

CONCLUSIONS

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in combination with oxybutynin for childhood urge incontinence was superior to monotherapy consisting of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or oxybutynin, although the latter only reached borderline statistical significance. Furthermore, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation was associated with a decreased risk of oxybutynin induced post-void residual urine greater than 20 ml.

Refractory Urinary Incontinence in Girls: The Role of the Bladder Neck

BACKGROUND

Prevalence of lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) in children is between 6 and 9% with urinary incontinence (UI) being one of the most common symptom.

VARIOUS ASPECTS OF LOWER URINARY TRACT SYMPTOMS LUTS

Anatomical anomalies of the urinary tract as well as neurogenic underlying pathology can results in LUTS. Comorbidities and long-term consequences of the LUTD for the female patients as well as genetic issues are also briefly discussed.

THE ROLE OF THE BLADDER NECK

Thanks to urodynamics, we have learnt a lot about the lower urinary tract function, but the role of the bladder neck in the pathophysiology of LUTS in children is not clear. Secondary bladder neck hypertrophy is a well-described pathology, but there is no standardized treatment for this phenomenon. Primary bladder neck dysfunction has already been defined by the International Children's Continence Society.

REFRACTORY UI IN GIRLS

Uniform diagnostic protocols are used in these girls with UI. Treatment consists of standard urotherapy, additional interventions, and pharmacotherapy in selected cases. Those with refractory UI require careful reassessment to look for the unrecognized disorders. Invasive urodynamics should be done in those patients. Ultrasound of the bladder neck region and the pelvic floor can be helpful, but its interpretation is very subjective. In a small group bladder neck insufficiency can be found and those might benefit from a surgical intervention.

FUTURE PERSPECTIVE

Strict criteria of the bladder neck insufficiency in children must be defined. Early surgical intervention in girls with bladder neck insufficiency might reduce the long period of intensive conservative treatment.

Bladder and bowel dysfunctions in 1748 children referred to pelvic physiotherapy: clinical characteristics and locomotor problems in primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare settings

The aims of this study are to evaluate in a pragmatic cross-sectional study, the clinical characteristics of childhood bladder and/or bowel dysfunctions (CBBD) and locomotor problems in the primary through tertiary health care setting. It was hypothesized that problems would increase, going from primary to tertiary healthcare. Data were retrieved from patient-records of children (1-16 years) presenting with CBBD and visiting pelvic physiotherapists. Prevalence's of dysfunctions were compared between healthcare settings and gender using ANOVA and chi-square test. Agreement between physicians' diagnoses and parent-reported symptoms was evaluated (Cohen's Kappa). One thousand seventy hundred forty-eight children (mean age 7.7 years [SD 2.9], 48.9% boys) were included. Daytime urinary incontinence (P = 0.039) and enuresis (P < 0.001) were more diagnosed in primary healthcare, whereas constipation (P < 0.001) and abdominal pain (P = 0.009) increased from primary to tertiary healthcare. All parent-reported symptoms occurred more frequently than indicated by the physicians. Poor agreement between physicians' diagnoses and parent-reported symptoms was found (k = 0.16). Locomotor problems prevailed in all healthcare settings, motor skills (P = 0.041) and core stability (P = 0.015) significantly more in tertiary healthcare.

CONCLUSIONS

Constipation and abdominal pain (physicians' diagnoses) and the parent-reported symptoms hard stools and bloating increased from primary to tertiary healthcare. Discrepancies exist between the prevalence's of physicians' diagnoses and parent-reported symptoms. Locomotor problems predominate in all healthcare settings. What is Known: • Childhood bladder and/or bowel dysfunctions (CCBD) are common. • Particularly tertiary healthcare characteristics of CBBD are available What is New: • Characteristics of CBBD referred to pelvic physiotherapy are comparable in primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare settings. • Concomitant CBBD appeared to be more prevalent than earlier reported. • Discrepancies exist between referring physicians' diagnoses and parent-reported symptoms.

Biofeedback as a first-line treatment for overactive bladder syndrome refractory to standard urotherapy in children

INTRODUCTION

Overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) and dysfunctional voiding (DV) are subgroups of lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD). Standard urotherapy is the first-line treatment option of OAB in children.

OBJECTIVES

The aim was to investigate the use of biofeedback as a first-line treatment option in OAB refractory to standard urotherapy, and determine the factors affecting efficacy.

STUDY DESIGN

Between 2005 and 2015, we retrospectively analyzed a total of 136 hospital records of children with OAB who had not previously used any anticholinergics and were refractory to standard urotherapy. Patients with urgency and/or urge incontinence and/or making holding maneuvers to suppress urgency were defined as having OAB symptoms, and resolution of these complaints was defined as successful biofeedback therapy.

RESULTS

Seventy-three of 136 OAB patients' urgency recovered by biofeedback therapy with the success rate of 53% (p < 0.001). Sixty-two of 101 patients with holding maneuvers (success rate 61%) (p < 0.001), 70 of 101 patients with urgency incontinence (success rate 69%) (p < 0.001), 76 of 114 patients with daytime incontinence (success rate 66%) (p = 0.023), 87 of 97 patients with enuresis (success rate 89%) (p = 0.009), and 27 of 39 patients with dysuria (success rate 69%) (p = 0.007) recovered from their symptoms significantly. The mean lower urinary tract symptom score (LUTSS) was 16.38 and 8.18 before and after biofeedback therapies, respectively (p < 0.001) (Table). Patients without holding maneuvers (p = 0.045), daytime incontinence (p = 0.030), and enuresis (p = 0.045) had better recovery compared to the opposites.

DISCUSSION

Biofeedback can be thought of as the first-line treatment option when standard urotherapy fails in children with OAB.

Postvoidal residual urine is the most significant non-invasive diagnostic test to predict the treatment outcome in children with non-neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction

INTRODUCTION

Uroflowmetry (UF) alone is often inadequate or unreliable to diagnose lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD). Therefore, other non-invasive tests, such as ultrasound (US), post-voiding residual volume (PVR) assessment and symptom scales, are used as well for objective definition of the problem.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible predictive function of the non-invasive diagnostic tests for the response to treatment.

STUDY DESIGN

The prospective registry data of 240 patients with LUTD, from November 2006 to September 2013, were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were aged 5-14 years old. Patients with a previous diagnosis of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), neurogenic bladder, monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (NE) were excluded from the study. Uroflowmetry, US, PVR and the Dysfunctional Voiding and Incontinence Symptom Scale (DVISS) were performed on every patient at their first visit and follow-ups. A DVISS <9 was considered as the DVISS response; parental opinion was based on International Continence Society criteria of clinical response. Time passed until clinical response was the last outcome parameter.

RESULTS

Mean age was 8.2 years. Median follow-up was 60.5 months. A total of 62% of patients had complete response, 28.1% had partial response, and 9.7% had no response. Demographic variables were not associated with clinical outcome. Co-existing enuresis nocturna, multiple pharmacotherapy, and increased DVISS were associated with longer time until clinical response. Post-voiding residual volume assessment was the only test to have a prognostic value.

DISCUSSION

Resolution rates of LUTD ranged from 40 to 90%. High resolution rate could be attributed to the long follow-up period, and the chance of spontaneous resolution. Treatment modalities and co-existing NE were associated with longer time until clinical response. Only PVR was associated with prognosis. This was the first study in literature to report such findings. It was seen that the normalization of pathologic patterns was a good sign for treatment success. The DVISS results showed significantly higher rates of incontinence compared to initial symptoms defined by the patients and/or their parents. This showed the importance of using scoring systems to better define the severity of symptoms. It was hard to establish a standardized cut-off value for bladder wall thickness on US. However, US was a good test for diagnosing additional pathologies.

CONCLUSION

Increased PVR was the single tool that was associated with prognosis and, therefore, should always be performed after UF. In addition, DVISS can help parents be counseled about their treatment expectations.

Central inhibition of refractory overactive bladder complaints, results of an inpatient training program

SHORT INTRODUCTION

Overactive bladder (OAB) in children has an overall reported incidence of 16.6-17.8%, with its prevalence of 0.2-9% varying largely between age and gender. OAB is the most important burden in pediatric urology because of the limited effect of treatment. OAB with imperative urge and/or urge incontinence can often be successfully treated with urotherapy and pharmacological treatment. Nevertheless, approximately 20% of patients are considered to be therapy resistant for common treatment options. For the latter group, an inpatient cognitive and biofeedback training program for children has been developed.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective is to evaluate the effect of an inpatient cognitive and biofeedback training program for children with urge complaints and urge incontinence based on overactive bladder (OAB) after failed earlier treatment by anticholinergic medication and by outpatient urotherapy. A search for predictors for success of treatment outcome is included in the study.

STUDY DESIGN

Seventy children with therapy refractory incontinence based on OAB went through a 10-day in-hospital training program between 2007 and 2010. The children were aged between 7 and 13 years (mean 9.29 years) and 48 (68.6%) were male. An essential part of this program is teaching the children central inhibition of their bladder to suppress bladder overactivity. Before attending this training program patients had on average 41.1 months of fruitless treatment by urotherapy and medication, and if needed preceding surgery for meatus correction or deobstruction. The training result was evaluated 6 months after completion of the inpatient training program. A questionnaire was subsequently conducted 2 years after the training to evaluate the long-term efficacy of this program.

RESULTS

Six months after training, evaluation showed that 30 of the 70 patients (42.9%) were free of complaints, 22 (31.4%) had a significant reduction in complaints and 18 (25.7%) had no improvement. Logistic regression analysis was used to look at several variables predicting training outcome. A higher age during clinical training was found to be a predictor for a good training outcome. After 2 years, 44 (62.9%) patients were reached for long-term follow-up. Of these patients, 28 (63.6%) reported a good effect of the training and 11 (25%) experienced no improvement in symptoms compared with before clinical training. Objectively, 26 (59.1%) were dry and 18 (40.9%) were incontinent to some extent. A total of 30 (68.2%) patients had not relapsed into urge complaints (McNemar's test P-value <0.05).

DISCUSSION

Age was found to be a predictor of a good training result, which is in line with the findings of other publications where children above the age of 8 demonstrate better and faster training results. The absolute number of participants to perform statistical analysis on was low, even though it was the number maximally achievable in this cohort, possibly explaining how other variables could not be found to predict training outcome. No differences in outpatient therapy results were observed between patients having received earlier outpatient urotherapy in our hospital when compared with being trained elsewhere. This is coherent with previous research indicating that for outpatient training, the attention offered to the child is of paramount importance. Regarding long-term follow-up, keeping in mind long-term follow-up patient numbers were incomplete, a good effect of the training was seen with a clear reduction in incontinence complaints. Far fewer children are suffering from urge complaints, although some patients had relapsed into urge complaints.

CONCLUSION

The inpatient cognitive and biofeedback training program for refractory OAB complaints has been demonstrated to cure or improve 74.3% of patients, and conveyed favorable long-term results in approximately 75.0% of patients. A higher age during clinical training was found to be a predictor for good training outcome.

Combined functional pelvic floor muscle exercises with Swiss ball and urotherapy for management of dysfunctional voiding in children: a randomized clinical trial

We report the clinical results of two types of urotherapy programs in children with dysfunctional voiding (DV). Sixty children with a median age of 8 (range, 5-14) diagnosed with DV were randomly allocated to one of two groups, each made up of 30 patients. Patients in group A underwent behavioral urotherapy (hydration, scheduled voiding, toilet training, and high-fiber diet) combined with pelvic floor muscle (PFM) exercises, whereas group B only received behavioral urotherapy. All parents completed a voiding and bowel habit diary chart. Uroflowmetry with pelvic floor surface electromyography (EMG) and bladder ultrasound were performed on all patients at the beginning and the end of the 1-year study. Abnormal voiding pattern normalized to a bell shape in 21/30 of patients in group A and 8/30 of patients in group B (P < 0.000). EMG activity during voiding disappeared significantly in 23/30 patients in group A compared to 15/30 patients in group B (P < 0.02). Episodes of urgency resolved in 12/14 of patients in group A and 3/11 of patients in group B (P < 0.01). Daytime wetting improved in 15/17 and 4/11 of patients in groups A and B, respectively. In addition, reduction in post-void residue (PVR) was significant in group A (P < 0.003).

CONCLUSION

Functional PFM exercises with Swiss ball combined with behavioral urotherapy proved as a safe and effective therapeutic modality, reducing the frequency of urinary incontinence, PVR, and the severity of constipation in children with DV.

Can a four-session biofeedback regimen be used effectively for treating children with dysfunctional voiding?

OBJECTIVE

To compare the outcomes of the open-ended six to ten sessions of biofeedback against a novel regime of four sessions of biofeedback to treat children with dysfunctional voiding.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients from two centers using different methods were retrospectively analyzed. Group 1 comprised 20 patients treated with four sessions of biofeedback. Group 2 comprised 20 patients treated with six to ten sessions of biofeedback. Each group was evaluated with subjective and objective parameters pre-treatment, immediately post-treatment and 6 months post-treatment.

RESULTS

All patients in Group 1 were treated with four sessions of biofeedback and in Group 2 the mean number of sessions was 7.35±1.30 (range 6-10). Normalized voiding flow curves after treatment were determined in 18 patients in Group 1 (90%) and 19 patients in Group 2 (95%) (p=0.553). There were seven patients (35%) in Group 1 and eight patients (40%) in Group 2 with reflux. When units were compared, there were 11 units (4 bilateral) in Group 1 and 13 units (5 bilateral) in Group 2 with reflux (p=0.747). At 6 months post-treatment, in Group 1, seven had resolved (63.6%), three had improved (27.2%) and one persisted (9.01%). In Group 2, ten had resolved (76.9%) and three had improved (23.1%) (p=0.553).

CONCLUSIONS

Biofeedback therapy is one of the most widely used techniques in dysfunctional voiding in children. The regime of use has not been well defined, and the results of this study showed that a regime of four sessions of biofeedback therapy may be as safe and effective as the previously defined open-ended six to ten sessions.

Social stress induces changes in urinary bladder function, bladder NGF content, and generalized bladder inflammation in mice

Social stress may play a role in urinary bladder dysfunction in humans, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. In the present study, we explored changes in bladder function caused by social stress using mouse models of stress and increasing stress. In the stress paradigm, individual submissive FVB mice were exposed to C57BL/6 aggressor mice directly/indirectly for 1 h/day for 2 or 4 wk. Increased stress was induced by continuous, direct/indirect exposure of FVB mice to aggressor mice for 2 wk. Stressed FVB mice exhibited nonvoiding bladder contractions and a decrease in both micturition interval (increased voiding frequency) and bladder capacity compared with control animals. ELISAs demonstrated a significant increase in histamine protein expression with no change in nerve growth factor protein expression in the urinary bladder compared with controls. Unlike stressed mice, mice exposed to an increased stress paradigm exhibited increased bladder capacities and intermicturition intervals (decreased voiding frequency). Both histamine and nerve growth factor protein expression were significantly increased with increased stress compared with control bladders. The change in bladder function from increased voiding frequency to decreased voiding frequency with increased stress intensity suggests that changes in social stress-induced urinary bladder dysfunction are context and duration dependent. In addition, changes in the bladder inflammatory milieu with social stress may be important contributors to changes in urinary bladder function.

Biofeedback for nonneuropathic daytime voiding disorders in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

PURPOSE

Biofeedback has been used to treat children with symptoms of bladder dysfunction not responding to standard therapy alone. However, evidence of the effectiveness of biofeedback is scarce and is based on small studies. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to assess the effects of biofeedback as adjunctive therapy for symptoms of nonneuropathic voiding disorders in children up to age 18 years.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We searched MEDLINE(®), Embase(®) and CENTRAL on the OvidSP(®) platform as well as conference proceedings for randomized trials presented at scientific conventions, symposia and workshops through August 13, 2013. Hand searches and review of reference lists of retrieved articles were also performed.

RESULTS

Five eligible studies were included in the systematic review, of which 4 (382 participants) were pooled in the meta-analysis based on available outcomes data. The overall proportion of cases with resolved incontinence at month 6 was similar in the biofeedback and control groups (OR 1.37 [95% CI 0.64 to 2.93], RD 0.07 [-0.09, 0.23]). There was also no significant difference in mean maximum urinary flow rate (mean difference 0.50 ml, range -0.56 to 1.55) or likelihood of urinary tract infection (OR 1.30 [95% CI 0.65 to 2.58]).

CONCLUSIONS

Current evidence does not support the effectiveness of biofeedback in the management of children with nonneuropathic voiding disorders. More high quality, randomized controlled trials are needed to better evaluate the effect of biofeedback.