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Supraspinal Control of Lower Urinary Tract Function in Healthy Controls and Patients With Bladder Dysfunction

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Spinal Cord Injury
Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction
Multiple Sclerosis
Overactive Bladder
Interventions
Other: fMRI
Other: bladder filling
Other: bladder cooling
Other: additional post-treatment fMRI scan
Registration Number
NCT01768910
Lead Sponsor
University of Zurich
Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to provide profound insight into the supraspinal neuronal mechanisms and networks responsible for lower urinary tract (LUT) control and to verify, amend or adjust neuronal circuitry models established from findings in healthy subjects in the context of neurogenic and non-neurogenic LUT dysfunction.

Detailed Description

The subject recruitment will be performed within the Neuro-Urology outpatient clinic at the Balgrist University Hospital and in collaboration with the Departments of Neurology, Urology and Gynecology at the University Hospital Zürich.

The following subject groups will be recruited: 1) healthy controls (n=22), Non-neurogenic overactive bladder (NNOAB) patients (n=20), multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with OAB (n=15), MS patients without OAB (n=15), spinal cord injury (SCI) patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity (n=24).

After inclusion, all subjects and patients will undergo one to two functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sessions. NNOAB patients might undergo an additional fMRI session after receiving overactive bladder (OAB) treatment (such as antimuscarinics, intradetrusor injections of botulinum toxin type A). Spinal cord injury (SCI) patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity will undergo an additional fMRI session 5-7 weeks after intradetrusor injections of botulinum toxin type A.

High-resolution anatomical images and functional blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD)-signal sensitive images will be acquired. In addition to the fMRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) sequences will be recorded after the anatomical scans to provide information about the structural supraspinal connectivity.

Study endpoints are changes of the BOLD signal in regard to location and intensity, structural and functional connectivity (FC) between previously described supraspinal centers involved in LUT control, and statistical differences of changes in BOLD signals, structural and functional connectivity between patients and healthy controls.

All acquired fMRI data will be transferred to an off-line workstation running BrainVoyager QX or Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) Version 8. The functional data will be pre-processed for motion correction, spatial smoothing, linear trend removal, and temporal high-pass filtering. With both programs statistical analysis and graphical presentation of the results can be performed.

The DTI records will be evaluated with SPM8, BrainVoyager QX or other programs like Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB) Software Library (FSL) and DTI-Studio. To estimate FC we will use SPM8 or the brain connectivity toolbox. Both softwares allow the estimation of rest- and task-related connectivity on single subject and group level with corrected statistical threshold.

Overall, 96 subjects for the main study are estimated to be sufficient to demonstrate significant differences between groups.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
91
Inclusion Criteria

Healthy controls

  • Right handed
  • MR suitability
  • Written informed consent
  • unimpaired LUT function

MS patients with OAB

  • Right handed

  • MR suitability

  • Written informed consent

  • diagnosis of MS according to the McDonald criteria

  • Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) ≤ 6

  • OAB symptoms since > 6 months

    • ≥ 3 episodes of urinary urgency
    • frequency > 8/24h
  • with or without detrusor overactivity

MS patients without OAB

  • Right handed
  • MR suitability
  • Written informed consent
  • diagnosis of MS according to the McDonald criteria
  • Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) ≤ 6

Patients with NNOAB

  • Right handed

  • MR suitability

  • Written informed consent

  • idiopathic OAB symptoms since > 6 months

    • ≥ 3 episodes of urinary urgency
    • frequency > 8/24h
  • refractory to antimuscarinic treatment for ≥ 1 month

  • indication for intradetrusor injections of Botulinumtoxin Type A

  • willingness and ability to perform self-catheterization

SCI patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity

  • Right handed
  • MR suitability
  • Written informed consent
  • neurogenic detrusor overactivity due to SCI
  • indication for intradetrusor injections of botulinum toxin type A
Read More
Exclusion Criteria

Healthy controls

  • impaired LUT function

  • pregnancy or breast feeding

  • no informed consent

  • any craniocerebral injury or surgery

  • any permanent ferromagnetic implant

  • any previous surgery of the LUT or genitalia

  • any anatomical anomaly of the LUT or genitalia

  • any LUT malignancy

  • postvoid residual urine volume (PVR) > 150ml

  • current urinary tract infection

  • any LUT symptoms

    • ≥ 3 episodes of urinary urgency
    • frequency > 8/24h

MS patients with OAB

  • pregnancy or breast feeding
  • any permanent ferromagnetic implant
  • any neurological or psychological disease despite MS
  • any craniocerebral injury or surgery
  • any previous surgery of the LUT or genitalia
  • any anatomical anomaly or malignancy of the LUT or genitalia
  • any metabolic disease
  • PVR > 150ml
  • any concomitant treatment for the LUT (e.g. neuromodulation)
  • Stress urinary incontinence
  • any condition other than MS that might explain OAB symptoms
  • current urinary tract infection
  • indwelling catheters or the necessity to perform self-catheterization

MS patients without OAB

  • pregnancy or breast feeding

  • any permanent ferromagnetic implant

  • any neurological or psychological disease despite MS

  • any craniocerebral injury or surgery

  • any previous surgery of the LUT or genitalia

  • any anatomical anomaly or malignancy of the LUT or genitalia

  • any metabolic disease

  • PVR > 150ml

  • any concomitant treatment for the LUT (e.g. neuromodulation)

  • Stress urinary incontinence

  • any LUT symptoms

    • ≥ 3 episodes of urinary urgency
    • frequency > 8/24h
  • indwelling catheters or the necessity to perform self-catheterization

  • detrusor overactivity

  • current urinary tract infection

Patients with NNOAB

  • pregnancy or planned within next 8 months, breast feeding
  • any permanent ferromagnetic implant
  • any neurological, psychological, metabolic or cardiovascular disease
  • any craniocerebral injury or surgery
  • any previous surgery of the LUT or genitalia within the last year or that is related to the OAB symptoms
  • any anatomical anomaly or malignancy of the LUT or genitalia
  • PVR > 150ml
  • Stress urinary incontinence
  • indwelling catheters or the necessity to perform self-catheterization
  • any concomitant treatment for the LUT (e.g. neuromodulation)
  • current urinary tract infection

SCI patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity

  • pregnancy or breast feeding
  • any permanent ferromagnetic implant
  • any neurological or psychological disease despite SCI
  • any craniocerebral injury or surgery
  • any previous surgery of LUT of genitalia
  • any anatomical anomaly or malignancy of the LUT or genitalia
  • any metabolic disease
  • any concomitant treatment for the LUT (e.g. neuromodulation)
  • current urinary tract infection
Read More

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
FACTORIAL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
SCI with neurogenic detrusor overactivitybladder coolingProcedure: 1-2 measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures of the filling liquid plus 1 additional post-treatment fMRI scan 5 to 7 weeks after intradetrusor injections of botulinum toxin type A
Healthy controlsfMRIProcedure: 1-2 fMRI measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive retrograde bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures (e.g. bladder cooling, body warm or room temperature)of the filling liquid.
NNOABfMRIProcedure: 1-2 measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures of the filling liquid plus additional post-treatment fMRI scan 5 to 7 weeks after OAB treatment (such as antimuscarinics, intradetrusor injections of botulinum toxin type A)
NNOABadditional post-treatment fMRI scanProcedure: 1-2 measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures of the filling liquid plus additional post-treatment fMRI scan 5 to 7 weeks after OAB treatment (such as antimuscarinics, intradetrusor injections of botulinum toxin type A)
Healthy controlsbladder fillingProcedure: 1-2 fMRI measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive retrograde bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures (e.g. bladder cooling, body warm or room temperature)of the filling liquid.
MS with OABfMRIProcedure: 1-2 fMRI measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive retrograde bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures of the filling liquid.
MS without OABfMRIProcedure: 1-2 measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures of the filling liquid.
NNOABbladder fillingProcedure: 1-2 measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures of the filling liquid plus additional post-treatment fMRI scan 5 to 7 weeks after OAB treatment (such as antimuscarinics, intradetrusor injections of botulinum toxin type A)
SCI with neurogenic detrusor overactivitybladder fillingProcedure: 1-2 measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures of the filling liquid plus 1 additional post-treatment fMRI scan 5 to 7 weeks after intradetrusor injections of botulinum toxin type A
Healthy controlsbladder coolingProcedure: 1-2 fMRI measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive retrograde bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures (e.g. bladder cooling, body warm or room temperature)of the filling liquid.
MS with OABbladder fillingProcedure: 1-2 fMRI measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive retrograde bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures of the filling liquid.
MS without OABbladder coolingProcedure: 1-2 measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures of the filling liquid.
SCI with neurogenic detrusor overactivityfMRIProcedure: 1-2 measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures of the filling liquid plus 1 additional post-treatment fMRI scan 5 to 7 weeks after intradetrusor injections of botulinum toxin type A
MS with OABbladder coolingProcedure: 1-2 fMRI measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive retrograde bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures of the filling liquid.
MS without OABbladder fillingProcedure: 1-2 measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures of the filling liquid.
NNOABbladder coolingProcedure: 1-2 measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures of the filling liquid plus additional post-treatment fMRI scan 5 to 7 weeks after OAB treatment (such as antimuscarinics, intradetrusor injections of botulinum toxin type A)
SCI with neurogenic detrusor overactivityadditional post-treatment fMRI scanProcedure: 1-2 measurements within 4 weeks from first exam. Measurements include repetitive bladder filling via transurethral catheter at different bladder volumes and temperatures of the filling liquid plus 1 additional post-treatment fMRI scan 5 to 7 weeks after intradetrusor injections of botulinum toxin type A
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Bold signalbaseline and 4 weeks

During fMRI measurements the changes of BOLD signal intensity in respect to certain supraspinal areas (e.g. pons, insula, anterior cingulate cortex, thalamus, supplementary motor area, prefrontal cortex) will be evaluated.

Variables are age, bladder volume, urgency and attention.

Structural and functional connectivitybaseline and after potential OAB treatment

Acquired data from the above mentioned measurements will be used to analyze structural and functional connectivity between supraspinal areas involved in the LUT control, especially between prefrontal, thalamus, insula, and anterior cingulate cortex.

Variables are age, bladder volume, urgency and attention. Correlations of neuronal activity from the fMRI-data will be estimated using SPM8, brain connectivity tool box.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Side effects3 years

Pain, Lower urinary tract infection

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

Neuro-Urology, Spinal Cord Injury Center & Research, University of Zürich, Balgrist University Hospital

🇨🇭

Zürich, Switzerland

University Hospital Zürich

🇨🇭

Zürich, Switzerland

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