Transcutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation for Treating Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction: A Pilot Study for an International Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

bTUNED: transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation for neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction

OBJECTIVE

To present the protocol for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the efficacy and safety of transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS) for refractory neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD).

STUDY DESIGN AND RESULTS

bTUNED (bladder and TranscUtaneous tibial Nerve stimulation for nEurogenic lower urinary tract Dysfunction) is an international multicentre, sham-controlled, double-blind RCT investigating the efficacy and safety of TTNS. The primary outcome is success of TTNS, defined as improvements in key bladder diary variables at study end compared to baseline values. The focus of the treatment is defined by the Self-Assessment Goal Achievement (SAGA) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes are the effect of TTNS on urodynamic, neurophysiological, and bowel function outcome measures, as well as the safety of TTNS.

CONCLUSIONS

A total of 240 patients with refractory NLUTD will be included and randomized 1:1 into the verum or sham TTNS group from March 2020 until August 2026. TTNS will be performed twice a week for 30 min during 6 weeks. The patients will attend baseline assessments, 12 treatment visits and follow-up assessments at the study end.

Development of a Sham Protocol to Investigate Transcutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation in Randomised, Sham-Controlled, Double-Blind Clinical Trials

Transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS) is a promising treatment for neurogenic lower urinary tract symptoms. However, the evidence is limited due to a general lack of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and, also, inconsistency in the sham and blinding conditions. In the context of much-needed RCTs, we aimed to develop a suitable sham-control protocol for a clinical setting to maintain blinding but avoid meaningful stimulation of the tibial nerve. Three potential electrode positions (lateral malleolus/5th metatarsal/plantar calcaneus) and two electrode sizes (diameter: 2.5 cm/3.2 cm) were tested to determine which combination provided the optimal sham configuration for a TTNS approach, based on a visible motor response. Sixteen healthy volunteers underwent sensory and motor assessments for each sham configuration. Eight out of them came back for an extra TTNS visit. Sensory thresholds were present for all sham configurations, with linear regression models revealing a significant effect regarding electrode position (highest at plantar calcaneus) but not size. In addition, motor thresholds varied with the position-lowest for the 5th metatarsal. Only using this position and 3.2 cm electrodes attained a 100% response rate. Compared to TTNS, sensory and motor thresholds were generally higher for the sham configurations; meanwhile, perceived pain was only higher at the lateral malleolus. In conclusion, using the 5th metatarsal position and 3.2 cm electrodes proved to be the most suitable sham configuration. Implemented as a four-electrode setup with standardized procedures, this appears to be a suitable RCT protocol for maintaining blinding and controlling for nonspecific TTNS effects in a clinical setting.

The effectiveness and safety of oral medications, onabotulinumtoxinA (three doses) and transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation as non or minimally invasive treatment for the management of neurogenic detrusor overactivity in adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Oral medications, onabotulinumtoxinA injections, and transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS) are recommended by the American Urological Association/Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction guidelines as non or minimally invasive treatments for patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) without treatment hierarchy.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to compare and rank the effectiveness and safety of oral medications, three doses of onabotulinumtoxinA, and TTNS on improving urodynamic outcomes in patient-reported outcomes and safety outcomes in patients with NDO.

METHODS

The authors searched PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Medicine, and clinicaltrials.gov, from their inception to October 2022 and included randomized controlled studies on the drug, onabotulinumtoxinA, and TTNS for the treatment of patients with NDO. Outcomes included urodynamic parameters, voiding diary, quality of life changes, adverse event rate and postvoid residual.

RESULTS

A total of 26 articles and 2938 patients were included in the statistics. Regarding effectiveness, all interventions except TTNS and α-blockers were statistically different for the placebo group. The urodynamic outcome and patient-reported outcome suggested that onabotulinumtoxinA injection (urodynamic outcome: onabotulinumtoxinA 200 U, the mean surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA): 87.4; patient-reported outcome: onabotulinumtoxinA 100 U, mean SUCRA: 89.8) was the most effective treatment, and the safety outcome suggested that TTNS (SUCRA: 83.3) was the safest. Cluster analysis found that antimuscarinics and β3-adrenoceptor-agonists possessed good effectiveness and safety.

CONCLUSION

OnabotulinumtoxinA injection is probably the most effective way to treat patients with NDO, with increasing effectiveness but decreasing safety as the dose rises. The effectiveness of α-blockers and TTNS was not statistically different from the placebo group. Antimuscarinics and β3-adrenoceptor-agonists have good effectiveness and safety.

Comparison of the efficacy and safety of sacral root magnetic stimulation with transcutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation in the treatment of neurogenic detrusor overactivity: an exploratory randomized controlled trial

Background

Both repetitive sacral root magnetic stimulation (rSMS) and transcutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS) have demonstrated clinical benefits for lower urinary tract dysfunction. However it still remains unclear that which method is more effective and safer to treat neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO).

Methods

From December 2020 to December 2021, 50 patients (31 men and 19 women, aged 47.9±12.4 years) with NDO secondary to suprasacral spinal cord injury (SCI) were enrolled and randomly allocated to the rSMS or TTNS group based on a computer-generated random numbers table. The stimulation was applied continuously 5 times per week for 20 sessions. Urodynamic test was conducted at baseline and the day after the final 20th treatment session. The primary outcome was the individual change (Δ) in maximum cystometric capacity (MCC) from baseline to post-treatment. Secondary outcomes included changes (Δ) for the following parameters: volume at 1st involuntary detrusor contraction (1st IDCV), maximal detrusor pressure (Pdetmax), bladder compliance (BC), postvoid residual (PVR) volume, and bladder voiding efficiency (BVE). Additionally, adverse reactions including pain and skin irritation during stimulation were observed and recorded as safety outcomes.

Results

Finally 47 patients completed the study (23 in rSMS and 24 in TTNS group). A per-protocol (PP) analysis was performed, and Mann-Whitney U test and unpaired t-test were used for statistical analysis. Compared with the efficacy of TTNS, rSMS showed statistically greater ΔMCC [median +43 mL (IQR, 22–62 mL) vs. +20 mL (IQR, 15–25 mL), P=0.001, with a between-group difference of +22 mL (95% CI: +7 to +35 mL)] and ΔBVE [median +10.0% (IQR, 3.8–15.7%) vs. +3.5% (IQR, 0.0–7.8%), P=0.003, with a between-group difference of +5.9% (95% CI: +1.2% to +9.7%)]. No significant differences were found in Δ1st IDCV (P=0.40), ΔPdetmax (P=0.67), ΔBC (P=0.79) and ΔPVR (P=0.92) between the two groups. Meanwhile, patients exhibited high tolerance to both protocols, and no adverse reactions were observed.

Conclusions

RSMS may be more effective to improve urodynamics in the treatment for NDO than TTNS, cause it led to a statistical improvement in bladder capacity and voiding efficiency, without any side effects. RSMS is thus worthy of further clinical promotion.

Trial Registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100050663.

Neuromodulation for Storage Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Parkinson Disease: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Bladder symptoms are common in Parkinson disease (PD), affecting quality of life. Medications commonly used such as antimuscarinics can cause frequently intolerable side effects, and therefore, new, better tolerated approaches are needed. Neuromodulation techniques have an established role in urologic disorders; these techniques include tibial nerve stimulation (TNS) and sacral neuromodulation (SNM), which are localized therapies lacking the side effects associated with medication.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to undertake a systematic review of the literature reporting the use of neuromodulation techniques for the treatment of bladder symptoms in PD and related conditions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic search of data bases was conducted including MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and Web of Science. Studies were required to present specific outcomes for individuals with PD for neuromodulation interventions.

RESULTS

Ten primary studies were identified concerning detailed outcomes of neuromodulation on bladder symptoms in PD, including seven for TNS, one for SNM, and one using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Two further mixed cohort studies documented minimal data on individuals with PD. All studies demonstrated benefit in a range of outcome measures following neuromodulation. Two randomized sham-controlled studies were carried out using TNS, with one clearly demonstrating superiority over sham, although difficulties with achieving believable yet ineffective sham treatment are highlighted. Further studies reported limited, uncontrolled outcomes of SNM in patients with PD, demonstrating benefit.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence from case series suggests benefit from TNS in PD, with limited literature on SNM or TMS. Placebo effect from neuromodulation is a concern, and only limited controlled data exist. Future well-designed and sham-controlled studies need to be completed to provide definitive data on the benefit of neuromodulation in PD. Definitively proving the utility of a neuromodulation modality will allow better treatment of bladder symptoms without the need for pharmacologic measures that cause side effects.

Inhibitory effects of a smartphone-controlled wearable transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation device on bladder reflexes in anesthetized cats

OBJECTIVES

To explore the inhibitory effects of a novel, smartphone-controlled, and wearable tibial nerve stimulation device on nonnociceptive and nociceptive bladder reflexes in anesthetized cats and to compare the stimulus results of two current waveforms outputted by this new stimulator.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A novel, intelligent tibial nerve stimulator was put on the ankles of 14 cats and controlled by a mobile application. Cystometrograms (CMGs) were performed repeatedly by infusing 0.9% normal saline (NS) and 0.5% acetic acid (AA) through a urethral catheter. Inhibitory effects were explored by measuring the bladder capacity (BC) in two areas: (1) on nonnociceptive bladder reflex (infused with NS) and on nociceptive bladder reflex (filled with AA to induce overactive bladder [OAB] model); and (2) under the stimulation of two different current waveforms (waveforms A and B).

RESULTS

In Group 1, the BC of AA-induced OAB (41.48 ± 8.40%) was significantly different compared with the capacity of a NS-infused bladder (104.89 ± 1.32%, p < 0.05). Both NS-filled (151.35 ± 5.71%, p < 0.05) and AA-instilled (71.41 ± 9.34%, p < 0.05) bladder volumes significantly increased after tibial nerve stimulation (TNS). In Group 2, the BC increased to 166.18 ± 15.17% (p = 0.026) and 127.64 ± 13.00% (p = 0.239), respectively, after TNS with waveforms A and B current.

CONCLUSIONS

Results revealed that this novel, smartphone-based, wearable, and wireless tibial nerve stimulation system could inhibit the micturition reflex on physiological condition, serving as a potential option for OAB treatment. In addition, the waveforms of stimulation current had an important influence on the effects of TNS.

Long-Term Effect of Early Post-operative Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation on Voiding Function After Radical Hysterectomy: A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Introduction: Post-radical-hysterectomy (RH) patients suffer from a series of problems resulting from neurovascular injury, such as bladder dysfunction, which reduce their quality of life. We have designed this study to evaluate the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS) on patient rehabilitation after RH for early cervical cancer.

Materials and methods: A total of 97 patients were enrolled in a randomized-controlled trial (from January 2015 to December 2019) involving 7 medical centers nationwide. Patients were assigned to either the intervention group (n = 46), or the control group (n = 51). TENS was given to patients in the intervention group from the 7^th day after surgery for a total of 14–21 days. The control group received no TENS. Primary outcomes were measured for residual urine volume and recovery of urination function. Secondary outcomes were measures for urodynamics (UDS), pelvic floor electromyography function examination (PFEmF), and quality of life (QoL).

Results: Residual urine volume and improvement in the rate of urination were found to show no significant differences on the 14^th, 21^st, and 28^th days after surgery. The maximum flow rate (Qmax) in the intervention group was significantly higher than that in the control group on the 28^th day, but there were no significant differences in average flow rate, voiding time, time to Qmax, muscle fiber strength, muscle fiber fatigue, and the abnormal rate of A3 reflection on the 28^th day and the 3^rd mo., as well as in the QoL at 3^rd mo., 6^th mo., and 12^th mo. after surgery.

Conclusion: Our study showed no sufficient evidence to prove that TENS under the trialed parameters could improve the subject's voiding function, PFEmF, and QOL after RH. This has provided valuable data for rehabilitation after RH.

Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02492542.

Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation for Neurogenic Bladder Dysfunction Following Spinal Cord Injury: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for neurogenic bladder dysfunction secondary to spinal cord injury (SCI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane libraries up to February 2021 was performed using PRISMA methodology. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that studied TENS for neurogenic bladder in a SCI population were included. The primary outcomes of interest were maximum cystometric capacity (MCC) and maximum detrusor pressure (Pdet). Meta-analysis was conducted with RevMan v5.3.

RESULTS

Six RCTs involving 353 participants were included. Meta-analysis showed that TENS significantly increased MCC (standardized mean difference 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.08-2.14, p = 0.03, I²  = 54%) in acute SCI. No benefits were seen for maximum Pdet. TENS was associated with no major adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

TENS may be an effective, safe intervention for neurogenic bladder dysfunction following SCI. Further studies are essential to confirm these results and more work is required to determine optimal stimulation parameters and duration of the treatment.