Vibratory perception and female stress urinary incontinence.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We investigated the value of measuring the vibratory perception threshold with a biothesiometer to clinically evaluate women with stress urinary incontinence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study consisted of 3 groups, including group 1--66 women with stress urinary incontinence, group 2--44 age matched women without stress urinary incontinence and group 3--60 younger women without stress urinary incontinence. A total of 50 patients with stress urinary incontinence underwent videourodynamics. Using a biothesiometer the vibratory perception threshold was measured over the middle finger, middle toe and clitoris in all study subjects. A higher threshold indicated lower sensitivity to vibratory stimulation. Motions leading to stress urinary incontinence were also determined. RESULTS: The stress urinary incontinence and age matched control groups were older than the younger control group and had greater parity. The incontinence group had a higher vibratory perception threshold than the younger control group but there was no difference between women with incontinence and age matched women without incontinence. Women in whom incontinence was induced by walking upstairs or downstairs had a higher finger and toe vibratory perception threshold than those without incontinence. The threshold in the groups with and without intrinsic sphincter deficiency did not differ significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Vibratory perception is not related to stress urinary incontinence in females. Finger and toe vibratory perception is less sensitive in patients with stress urinary incontinence while walking upstairs or downstairs.