Peripheral Sacral Magnetic Stimulation in Patients with Idiopathic Overactive Bladder: a Single Blind Prospective Randomized Comparative Clinical Study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. Overactive bladder (OAB) is a symptom complex that includes urgency, frequent urination, imperative urinary incontinence and nocturia. The idiopathic form of OAB is associated with dysfunction of sensory signal transmission at the level of the peripheral and central nervous system, which leads to bladder hypersensitivity. The low level of patients’ compliance to OAB drug therapy and the high level of refusal to take drugs emphasize the urgency of finding new effective methods of influencing the lower urinary tract. Magnetic stimulation (MS) is a non-drug treatment for lower urinary tract dysfunction. AIM. To study the efficacy and safety of the sacral MS method in women with idiopathic detrusor overactivity (DO) and OAB symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A single blind prospective randomized comparative study included 55 female patients with urodynamically confirmed idiopathic DO. The patients were divided by simple randomization into the main group (n = 29), which received MS 3 times a week for 5 weeks with a frequency of 5 Hz per sacral root area (S2–S4), and the placebo group (n = 26), in which sham stimulation was performed. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. The study revealed that sacral MS is reliably effective against the clinical symptoms of OAB in idiopathic DO. The dynamics of clinical symptoms is confirmed by changes in urodynamic parameters. The effect of sacral MS significantly exceeds placebo. MS is a safe procedure and is well tolerated by patients. CONCLUSION. The sacral MS method, the effectiveness of which has been proven in comparison with placebo, is recommended to be included in the treatment regimen of patients with idiopathic OAB. The mechanism of action of sacral MS is associated with the activation of sympathetic and inhibition of parasympathetic influences, as well as changes in supraspinal control and cerebral activity.