Clinical and Urodynamic Assessment of Bladder Sensation in Multiple Sclerosis

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are frequent in central nervous system disorders especially in patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Prevalence of LUTS is important (32 to 96.8%) and increases with multiple sclerosis (MS) duration and the severity of the neurological deficiencies and disabilities. Overactive bladder (OAB) with urgency, frequency, urgency urinary incontinence, is the most common symptom, reported by 37-99% of the PwMS. Voiding difficulties are less common, from 6 to 49%, and usually appear later with the course of the disease.

Urodynamics is a useful test recommended to understand the mechanism of bladder dysfunction, and look for risk factors of upper tract damage.

Detrusor overactivity is the most reported mechanism of overactive bladder, and describes the occurrence of uninhibited contractions of the detrusor during bladder filling. But abnormal bladder sensations, with increased or decreased sensations, have also been described. The prevalence of these abnormalities is not well described, however, in the absence of detrusor overactivity, abnormal afferent information (i.e., abnormal bladder sensations) is the plausible mechanism involved in urinary disorders.

The assessment of bladder sensations is still a poorly explored field. Bladder diary can be used for the collection of the intensity of need to void with a Likert scale or numerical scale.

During cystometry, it is recommended to collect different bladder sensations: first sensation of filling, first desire to void, strong desire to void, urgent desire to void. However, it has been described that bladder sensations progress in 8 to 9 different levels of intensity in healthy subjects.