The modern methods of the electrical stimulation for the management of neurogenic disturbances of urination

Abstract

The results of the present study provide materials for the characteristic and the comparative analysis of the methods for electrical stimulation applied for the treatment of neurogenic disorders of urination and illustrate the up-to-date requirements to this therapy taking into consideration the neuroanatomical and neurophysiological features of micturition. One of the most advanced non-pharmacological methods is electrical stimulation and neuromodulation of the urinary bladder function and pelvic floor muscles. The objective of this three-step research was to elucidate the mechanisms of action of electrical stimulation and to compare the effects of tibial and pudendal neuromodulation in 22 patients presenting with ischemic lesions in the brain. The first step included the comprehensive clinical and neuroimaging investigations designed to determine the role of functional asymmetry of cortical and subcortical micturition regulatory centers during the recovery process following the ischemic lesions. At the second stage, afferent and central regulation of micturition was investigated by the method of tibial and pudendal somatosensory evoked potentials in the patients presenting with overactive bladder and acute or chronic cerebral ischemia. At the final step, the optimal parameters of neuromodulation were chosen depending on the form of the urination disorder. It is concluded that the study gave evidence of the high therapeutic effectiveness of tibial and pudendal neuromodulation for the treatment of overactive bladder associated with neurological disorders (including ischemic lesions in the brain).