Evidence for autonomic nervous system dysfunction in females with idiopathic overactive bladder syndrome.

AIMS: Micturition and continence are largely under the control of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). In this study, we analyzed ANS function using autonomic cardiovascular (CV) testing in females with idiopathic overactive bladder syndrome (iOAB) versus control females. Our hypothesis was that ANS dysfunction could comprise part of the pathophysiology of iOAB. METHODS: Twenty-three females with iOAB and 29 controls were enrolled into this prospective study. Patients performed CV autonomic testing, including two sympathetic tests (hand grip exercise and cold pressor test), two parasympathetic tests (deep breathing and 30:15 ratio), and two mixed tests (Valsalva manoeuvre and blood pressure [BP] response to standing). Patients with iOAB also underwent conventional urodynamic studies in order to define iOAB as either with or without demonstrable detrusor overactivity (DO). RESULTS: Both groups were similar with respect to age and menopausal status. Females with iOAB had significantly more positive tests than controls (P < 0.0001), particularly for sympathetic tests (P < 0.0001). Among the iOAB group, the sympathetic tests (P = 0.03) were significantly more often positive in patients without DO (based on cystometry) compared to patients with DO, with the results being particularly significant for the cold pressor test (P = 0.02). No differences were found among iOAB sufferers with respect to a past history of enuresis. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest ANS dysfunction, predominantly a sympathetic ANS dysfunction, is associated with iOAB, specifically in patients with iOAB without DO.

Transcutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation for treatment of the overactive bladder syndrome in multiple sclerosis: results of a multicenter prospective study.

AIMS: Electrostimulation is an established therapeutic option for neurogenic urinary disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of the noninvasive technique of transcutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation (TPTNS) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and troublesome symptoms of an overactive bladder (OAB). METHODS: A multicentric study enrolled 70 MS patients, suffering from OAB for a 3-month study period. INTERVENTION: Daily sessions of 20 min of TPTNS were provided. No change of associated treatments during the study period. The primary outcome measurement was Urgency and Frequency reported by bladder diary and symptom score performed before the treatment (Day 0, D0) and at D30 and D90. The secondary outcomes measurements were continence, symptom score, quality of life, psychosocial burden at DO, D30, and D90 and cystometry at baseline, with and without TPTNS and at D90. RESULTS: Clinical improvement of OAB was shown in 82.6% and 83.3% of the patients on D30 and D90, respectively, with significant improvement of primary and secondary outcomes compared to baseline. The initial acute cystometric response to TPTNS was positive in 51.2% of the patients (increase of >30% of cystometric capacity and/or reflex volume), without correlation with TPTNS clinical efficiency. The procedure was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic TPTNS appears to be effective in the management of severe OAB in MS, without compromising bladder emptying or inducing side effect. Treatment may be effective even in the absence of an acute cystometric effect. Additional works are required to demonstrate long-term efficacy of TPTNS.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of rectoanal inhibitory reflex (RAIR) modulation in functional bowel disorders.

BACKGROUND: Rectoanal inhibitory reflex (RAIR) is a physiological reflex implicated in anorectal continence. A lack of RAIR modulation is only described in spinal cord-injured patients with a lesion under L2. No quantitative data has been published concerning the normal modulation in amplitude and in duration in functional disorders. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of anorectal manometry, performed in 40 safe-neurological patients, suffering from idiopathic constipation and/or faecal incontinence, has been done. RAIR were obtained by five successive rectal distensions (10-50 ml).Resting pressure, residual pressure, percentages of relaxation, slope and duration of inhibition were estimated. Four hypotheses of normal modulation in amplitude and duration were set up using these parameters. The cut-off values chosen for the hypotheses were similar to results obtained by calculating median value +/- 2SD of the parameters. RESULTS: All the 40 patients had present RAIR. Concerning the modulation of RAIR, we tested the hypotheses with the aim of finding those applying to patient's largest number. Amplitude: 85% of the patients had a normal modulation defined by a difference >8 cm H2O between two non-consecutive residual pressure on three successive rectal distensions. DURATION: 77.5% of the patients had a normal modulation defined by a time difference >2 s between two non-consecutive durations on three successive rectal distensions. CONCLUSION: Determination of normal values of RAIR modulation in functional disorders is interesting in clinical practise, suggesting that the patients with a lack of normal RAIR modulation (in amplitude or in duration) may have a neurological disease.

Where are your body parts? A pure case of heterotopagnosia following left parietal stroke.

We studied the involvement of the parietal cortex in interpersonal body representation in a left parietal stroke patient. We used tasks assessing different types of body representations and localization of object parts. The patient performed normally on all tasks of body knowledge. However, she was unable to locate body parts on another person or on body representations. In contrast, she pointed correctly to the same body parts on herself or object representations. The data support the important role of the left parietal cortex in the transformation of intrinsic spatial coding of body parts localization in extrinsic body part coordinates.

Post-voiding residual volume in 154 primiparae 3 days after vaginal delivery under epidural anesthesia.

OBJECTIVES: To use 3-dimensional ultrasonography (3D-US) to determine the frequency of post-voiding residual volume (PVRV) > or =100 mL in primiparae 3 days after receiving epidural anesthesia for vaginal delivery. Potential relationships between day-3 PVRV > or =100 mL and obstetrical-pediatric parameters, especially those possibly implicated in post-obstetrical bladder dysfunction, were examined. STUDY DESIGN: We recruited 154 primiparae who vaginally delivered term singletons following uncomplicated pregnancies in the maternity unit of a French teaching hospital. All women had been systematically catheterized 2-h postpartum to measure precisely the volume of urine retained. On the morning of discharge (day 3), when the patient felt the urge to urinate, her 3D-US pre-voiding bladder volume was determined with BladderScan (BVI-3000), then her spontaneously voided urine was collected to accurately quantify its volume and 3D-US was repeated immediately to evaluate the PVRV. PVRV > or =100 mL on day 3 was considered pathological. RESULT: Among these 154 women, 88 (57%) felt the need to urinate and 97 (63%) had a retained volume > or =500 mL at 2-h postpartum. On day-3 postpartum, the median [range] volumes for the entire cohort were: 426.7 [158-999.7] mL 3D-US-measured pre-voiding, 350 [15-1000] mL collected by spontaneous urination, 82.2 [5.3-433.3] mL 3D-US-determined post-voiding; PVRV exceeded 100 mL for 55 (36%). According to our univariate analysis, no factor considered was able to predict PVRV > or =100 mL on day 3. CONCLUSION: Our observations confirmed the existence of PVRV > or =100 mL on day 3 in more than one-third of these primiparae who delivered vaginally under epidural anesthesia. No obstetrical-pediatric factor could be implicated in this bladder dysfunction. Therefore, we recommend frequent and systematic non-invasive 3D-US monitoring of all postpartum patients at least until day 3 to avoid excessive urine retention.

Autonomic nervous system activity during bladder filling assessed by heart rate variability analysis in women with idiopathic overactive bladder syndrome or stress urinary incontinence.

PURPOSE: Idiopathic overactive bladder syndrome is a common disorder, especially in women. Of various pathophysiological factors several studies suggest a specific dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. To verify this hypothesis we compared heart rate variability parameters, which provide an analysis of autonomic function, in women with idiopathic overactive bladder syndrome to those in a reference population of women with stress urinary incontinence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diseases and medications that can perturb the autonomic nervous system were excluded. We included 7 women with pure stress urinary incontinence and 3 with isolated overactive bladder syndrome. Continuous echocardiogram recording was performed with the bladder emptied and during artificial bladder filling. High frequency variations of instantaneous heart rate represent parasympathetic activity, low frequency variations represent sympathetic activity and the low-to-high frequency ratio represents the autonomic balance. RESULTS: Heart rate variability parameters did not change significantly during bladder filling in women with stress urinary incontinence. In contrast, sympathetic tone in women with overactive bladder syndrome (low frequency) increased significantly at the end of bladder filling (p = 0.001), in parallel with a decrease in parasympathetic activity (high frequency) and a significant increase in the low-to-high frequency ratio (each p <0.001). Parasympathetic activity with the bladder emptied was significantly higher in the overactive bladder syndrome group (p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study demonstrates the predominance of parasympathetic activity with the bladder emptied and a preponderance of sympathetic activity at the end of bladder filling in women with overactive bladder syndrome. These results suggest dysfunction in the autonomic balance, as implied in idiopathic overactive bladder syndrome. Further studies in a larger population of patients with overactive bladder syndrome with reference to normal subjects free of urinary symptoms are necessary to confirm this hypothesis.

Where are my hands? Influence of limb posture on tactile extinction.

OBJECTIVE: Tactile localization on the skin involves both a somatotopic and a postural schema (body-schema) representation. The present study determines the extent to which body posture influences tactile perception in right-brain-damaged patients. METHOD: In a first set of experiments, patients were asked to detect single tactile stimulation delivered to their left or right hands or to both hands simultaneously (double stimulation) in different arm postures. Only patients who had no difficulty localizing single and double tactile stimulations when their hands were placed in anatomic position were tested. Participant's hands were crossed, one over the other, and the tactile stimuli were delivered either to the hand (beyond the crossing point, Experiment 1) or to the forearm (before the crossing point, Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, the left hand was placed in the right hemispace and the right hand in the left hemispace without crossing over (opposite condition). In a second set of experiments, patients were asked to detect stimulation delivered to the forefinger. The fingers were crossed, one over the other at the level of the middle phalanx, and stimuli were delivered either beyond or before the crossing point. RESULTS: In all experimental conditions, control participants performed at ceiling. We observed a left-hand tactile extinction on double stimulation in the crossed condition. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that tactile stimuli can be encoded based on multiple specific body-part representations rather than on an integrated body-schema representation.

Urine leakage related to physical fatigue in women with urinary stress incontinence.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency of urine leakage related to physical fatigue in women presenting with urinary stress incontinence using a specific questionnaire, and to assess its association with the Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms questionnaire and urodynamic findings. DESIGN: Prospective observational descriptive study. SETTING: University hospital (urodynamics laboratory). PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-one women presenting with urinary stress incontinence and 10 continent women. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The participants underwent urethral pressure profile measurement and completed a Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms questionnaire and a specific questionnaire focused on urine leakage related to physical fatigue. RESULTS: Twenty-three (37%) women with urinary stress incontinence claimed to exhibit urine leakage related to physical fatigue more often than one third of the time and 47% claimed to exhibit urinary leakage only after more than one cough. There was a positive correlation between the findings of the specific questionnaire and the presence of a sharp decrease in urethral pressure following repeated cough efforts: question #1 (P = 0.02); question #2 (P = 0.00002); question #3 (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: There is a strong association between this questionnaire focused on urine leakage related to fatigue and the presence of a decrease in urethral pressure following repeated coughs.

Abnormal pelvic response to cough in women with stress urinary incontinence.

AIMS: To assess how muscular fatigue deteriorates the modulation of pelvic contraction during increasing cough efforts. Furthermore, we investigated the correlation between the temporal course of pelvic floor activation during cough. METHODS: Informed consent was obtained from 20 women presenting with SUI and 6 continent women (overactive bladder syndrome [OAB]). Bladder pressure (BP) and external anal sphincter electromyographic activity (EAS EMGi) were recorded concomitantly during increasing cough efforts. Modulation of pelvic contraction was assessed before and after two types of intense pelvic exercise (Exercise #1: 10 successive strong cough efforts; Exercise #2: 10 pelvic contractions followed by a maximal pelvic contraction) at 0, 200, and 400 ml of bladder filling. We have also recorded electromyographic activity of external intercostal (EIC) muscles. RESULTS: Whereas the Exercise 1 had no effect on modulation, the Exercise 2 altered significantly the modulation of pelvic contraction during increasing cough efforts (P = 0.043) only in women presenting with SUI. The bladder filling volume seems to not significantly modify this modulation (P = 0.12). Median latency between the onset of the EAS EMGi and the onset of the EIC EMGi was -470 and -60 msec in OAB group and in SUI group, respectively (P = 0.012). There was a good correlation between mean latency (default of EAS EMGi pre-activation) and an altered modulation of pelvic contraction during increasing cough efforts (P = 0.040). CONCLUSIONS: Some women with SUI exhibit an altered pattern of the PFM response during increasing coughing efforts. The lack of this modulation of PFM response to stress may be one of the pathophysiologic factors of SUI.

External intercostal muscles and external anal sphincter electromyographic activity during coughing.

Few studies focused on concomitant electromyographic recordings of pelvic floor muscles and muscles involved in cough initiation. The objective of this study was to investigate the temporal course of external anal sphincter activation during coughing. Informed consent was obtained from ten healthy volunteers and ten women presenting with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Simultaneously, recordings of electromyographic activity of external intercostal muscles (EIC EMGi) and external anal sphincter (EAS EMGi) during coughing have been performed. It was chosen to study intercostals muscles because they are synchronous to diaphragmatic muscle during cough initiation. Median (interquartile range) latency between the onset of the EAS EMGi and the onset of the EIC EMGi was -210 ms (-398; -135) and 0 ms (-30; +111.7) in volunteers' group and in SUI group, respectively (p = 0.0009). Abnormal temporal course of external anal sphincter activation is observed during coughing in women presenting with SUI compared to healthy volunteers.

Pelvic floor muscle activity during coughing: altered pattern in women with stress urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationship between bladder pressure (BP) and pelvic floor muscle activity during coughing in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). METHODS: External anal sphincter integrated electromyographic activity (EAS-EMGi) was recorded in 21 women using pregelled surface electrodes. The relationship between BP and EAS-EMGi activity was assessed during four successive coughs at 0, 200, and 400 mL of filling. We also compared this relationship in 6 women presenting with SUI and 4 continent women. RESULTS: Among the considered models, a sigmoid relationship between EAS-EMGi and BP best described the data: EMGi = exp[a x (BP - b)]/(1 + exp[a x (BP - b)]). This relationship between EAS-EMGi and BP was significantly altered in women presenting with SUI (P <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Women with SUI exhibited an altered pattern of the pelvic floor muscle response during successive coughing efforts. The lack of this modulation of pelvic floor muscle response to stress might be one of the pathophysiologic factors of SUI.

Decrease in urethral pressure following repeated cough efforts: a new concept for pathophysiology of stress urinary incontinence.

AIMS: To describe the decrease in maximum urethral closure pressure (MUCP) following repeated coughs in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). METHODS: MUCP was recorded at rest and after seven cough efforts in 70 women under age 40 referred for urodynamic investigation (47 women with SUI and 23 women without SUI). RESULTS: The intraclass correlation coefficient for repeatability was very good at 400 mL filling volume: 0.94 (95%CI: 0.85-0.98), as compared to the mean and standard-deviations of the MUCP measurements. A decrease in MUCP >20% after seven cough efforts was observed in 18(38%) patients in the SUI group and in just 1(4%) woman in the non-SUI group (P = 0.0069). CONCLUSIONS: Many women with SUI exhibit a sharp decrease in MUCP after repeated coughs. Many hypotheses may explain this phenomenon, including increased fatigue of the periurethral muscles.

Evidence of occult dysautonomia in Fowler's syndrome: alteration of cardiovascular autonomic function tests in female patients presenting with urinary retention.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the hypothesis that an occult impairment of the autonomic system might represent one of the mechanisms of urinary disturbance in Fowler's syndrome (FS), in which the pathophysiology of urinary retention is the predominant feature. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively investigated 10 women (mean age 43.7 years) with FS, diagnosed by assessing both voiding-phase dysfunction (complete or incomplete retention with a residual urine volume of >150 mL, and a maximum flow rate of <15 mL/s), abnormalities of striated urethral sphincter electromyography (decelerating bursts and complex repetitive discharges), the presence of polycystic ovaries and absence of any apparent usual causes (obstructive, neurological diseases). The women had a urodynamic investigation, electromyographic examination, cystoscopy, brain and spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cardiovascular autonomic function tests (CAFTs, i.e. heart rate variability to deep breathing, cold-pressor test, Valsalva ratio, blood pressure response to standing, and sympathetic skin responses), for parasympathetic and sympathetic functions. Evidence of dysautonomia, as classically described, was defined by two or more positive CAFTs. RESULTS: The mean duration of symptoms was 7.9 years; there was urinary retention in six patients (one complete and five incomplete) and the other four complained of straining to void, diminished stream and hesitancy. Five patients were using intermittent self-catheterization. Six patients had two or more positive CAFTs and were considered to have dysautonomia. In all 10 women the clinical neurological and urological examinations were normal with no apparent clinical symptoms of dysautonomia (blurred vision, pupil abnormalities, clinical manifestations of postural hypotension, gastrointestinal symptoms). Brain and spinal cord MRI, cystoscopy, bladder and kidney ultrasonography, sacral-evoked latencies and cortical-evoked responses after pudendal nerve stimulation were normal. CONCLUSION: There was an occult impairment of the autonomic system in women with FS; this condition might be a pure bladder expression of a generalized but occult dysautonomia, which in some cases might be diagnosed using CAFTs.

External anal sphincter contraction during cough: not a simple spinal reflex.

AIMS: To assess whether the anal contraction during voluntary coughing is a simple spinal reflex-mediated activity or not. To address this question we studied the external intercostal (EIC) muscle activity and external anal sphincter (EAS) response to cough. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electromyographic recordings were made from pre-gelled disposable surface electrodes. EAS electromyographic recordings were made from the EAS of the pelvic floor in 15 continent women all suffering from urgency and/or frequency without urge or stress urinary incontinence, and referred for urodynamic investigation. Electromyographic signal was immediately integrated (EMGi). The abdominal pressure was recorded with bladder and rectal pressure. EAS EMGi was recorded during successive voluntary cough. In three women, we have also recorded EIC EMGi activity since it is synchronous with diaphragmatic EMG activity during cough initiation. RESULTS: In all subjects, EAS EMGi activity precedes the onset of the abdominal pressure increase. The mean latency of EAS EMGi was 615 msec (+/-278). In the three subjects whose EMGi activity was recorded both on EAS and EIC, the onset of EAS EMGi activity occurred before the EIC EMGi activity (latency ranging from 40 to 780 msec) and before the increase in the abdominal pressure. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that during coughing, EAS EMG activity increases before external intercostal muscle EMGi activity. The contraction of the EAS preceding the activation of muscles involved in coughing indicates that this response is not a result of a simple spinal reflex, but more likely the result of a more intricate reflex involving complex integrative centers.

Cough anal reflex: strict relationship between intravesical pressure and pelvic floor muscle electromyographic activity during cough. Urodynamic and electrophysiological study.

PURPOSE: Cough and more generally abdominal strain determine a pelvic floor contraction which allows an increase in sphincter pressure to prevent leakage during stress. Many electrophysiological studies have demonstrated this reflex (formally cough anal reflex). We postulated that the perineal muscle contraction following cough is not a simple binary response but proportional to the intensity of the cough. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 16 women (mean age 52 years) without neurological disease or stress urinary incontinence, referred for frequency and urgency without urge incontinence, underwent urodynamic investigation. Vesical pressure was compared to electromyographic activity of the anal sphincter during 4 successive coughs of different intensity, namely gentle, moderate, strong and very strong efforts. These 4 graded coughs were repeated at 0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 ml of filling during cystometry. RESULTS: All patients were able to determine a graded cough at each level of filling. In all patients and at each level of filling a strict relationship between intravesical pressure (intensity of cough) and integrated electromyographic value was demonstrated. The greater the intensity of the cough the greater the electromyographic response of the anal sphincter. There is a strict correlation between vesical pressure and integrated electromyographic value at rest at O (R2 = 0.983) or at 100 ml (R2 = 0.970), 200 (R2 = 0.918) or 300 ml (R2 = 0.960). Bladder filling does not modify the responses. CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic floor muscle contraction increases with the importance of intra-abdominal pressure generated during stress. This gradual adaptation of pelvic floor muscles is probably 1 of the main factors which contributes to stress urinary and fecal continence in women. It must be preprogrammed by the central nervous system to maintain continence during various stresses.