UNASSIGNED: The inclusion of people living with spinal cord injury (SCI) in research has allowed for an informed understanding of priorities of recovery of which bowel dysfunction and bladder dysfunction have been continuously identified. Research has also demonstrated the global disparities in SCI outcomes particularly when comparing high- and low-income countries. Currently, there is a lack of direct comparison between countries when assessing SCI outcomes.
UNASSIGNED: This is an exploratory study to better understand bowel and bladder dysfunction amongst individuals with SCI in India and Canada.
UNASSIGNED: Data from 33 participants were analyzed. Participants completed an online questionnaire assessing demographic information and the Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction (NBD) score, Wexner score, Neurogenic Bladder Symptom Score (NBSS), and the Incontinence Quality of Life Instrument (I-QOL). Continuous data were compared using t tests. For not normally distributed data, the independent Mann-Whitney U test was used. Categorical variables were evaluated for association using Fisher\'s exact or chi-square test, depending on the sample size.
UNASSIGNED: Independent Mann-Whitney U test demonstrated that the Canadian participants had poorer bowel function with higher total NBD scores (p = .007) and less frequent bowel movements (p = .036), and they were more likely to experience uneasiness, headaches, and perspiration during bowel movements (p < .001). NBSS results indicated a small but significantly higher proportion of the Indian participants were unsatisfied or unhappy with their bladder function (p = .049). The distribution of Wexner and I-QOL scores were the same across countries.
UNASSIGNED: Potential explanations for differences include lifestyle, management, financial resources, patient and caregiver education, and societal pressures, which are all heavily influenced by cultural, geographical, and economic circumstances.

Background/Objectives: Data on the long-term effects of oxybutynin in patients with neurogenic bladder (NGB) due to spinal cord injury (SCI) are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term effects of oxybutynin and the combination of oxybutynin with trospium in these patients, under real-world medical conditions. Methods: A total of 107 patients with NGB due to SCI were included. The mean treatment duration was 2.8 years ± 0.8 years. The patients were categorized into three groups: (1) low-dose oxybutynin (5-15 mg/day), (2) high-dose oxybutynin (20-40 mg/day), and (3) oxybutynin combined with trospium. The main outcomes were maximal detrusor pressure (MDP) and cystometric bladder capacity (CBC). Both were assessed at baseline and at three subsequent follow-up visits. Generalized estimation equation models were used to estimate the overall mean reduction in MDP and CBC for each group. Results: The overall adjusted mean reduction from baseline of MDP in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 2.5 (95% CI: -5.4 to 10.4; p = 0.540), 16.9 (95% CI: 4.4 to 29.4; p = 0.008), and 21.9 (95% CI: 4.1 to 39.8; p = 0.016) cmH2O, respectively. For the CBC, the mean reduction was not significant in any group at any visit, nor were the overall mean reductions. Conclusions: These findings suggest that high-dose oxybutynin and oxybutynin-trospium combination achieve a significant long-term reduction in MDP in patients with NGB after SCI. The effects were sustained across all three follow-up periods.

The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between dose of oxybutynin and reduction in detrusor pressure in individuals with neurogenic bladder (NGB) secondary to spinal cord injury (SCI). The hospital-based data were examined for all individuals with NGB and SCI who were admitted for urological evaluation between January 1999 and December 2016. Patient characteristics, urodynamics and bladder management details were collected at pre-treatment and post-treatment. The primary outcome used to assess oxybutynin treatment was the change in detrusor pressure (Pdet). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to investigate the relationship between dosage of oxybutynin and decrease in Pdet. A total of 245 participants (112 who received no medication and 133 treated with oxybutynin) were included. After controlling for confounding factors, each 1 mg increase in oxybutynin was associated with a mean decrease of 0.9 cmH2O in Pdet (95% CI, -1.4 to -0.3). Stratifying bladder management by indwelling catheter, oxybutynin at a dose of 1 mg was associated with a mean decrease in Pdet of 0.5 cmH2O (95% CI, -1.4 to 0.4) in patients with indwelling catheters and 1.0 cmH2O (95% CI, -1.7 to -0.3) in patients with clean intermittent catheterization and balanced bladder. This study provided guidance for setting the starting dose of drugs associated with response variability in NGB with SCI. Oxybutynin is deemed to be clinically effective for managing NGB in patients with SCI.

Considerable research efforts have been directed towards investigating neurogenic bladder dysfunction over the preceding decade. This condition stands as the most prevalent and incapacitating pelvic floor disorder amidst patients afflicted with specific upper motor neuron syndromes, including multiple sclerosis, stroke, and spinal cord injury. The current study aims to bring up-to-date findings on rehabilitation methods for treating neurogenic bladder. The Web of Science database (MEDLINE, PsychINFO, EMBASE, CENTRAL, ISRCTN, and ICTRP) was screened for randomized controlled studies and clinical studies using combinations of keywords including \"neurogenic bladder\", \"stroke\", \"multiple sclerosis\", and \"spinal cord injury\". The PEDro scale was used to assess the quality of the articles included in this study. After a thorough examination, eleven articles met the criteria for inclusion in our research. The outcome measures showed a variety of forms of electrostimulation that can be combined with or without PFMT. These interventions significantly enhance health-related quality of life, as evidenced by various assessment methods. The physical approach constitutes an effective therapeutic method that can reduce the severity of urinary incontinence.

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to identify the unique characteristics of neurogenic bladders and associated symptoms in patients with cervical or thoracic myelopathy using clinical surveys and urodynamic studies (UDSs). Methods: Patients with degenerative cervical (DCM) or thoracic (DTM) myelopathy and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) scheduled for decompressive surgery were prospectively enrolled. A UDS was performed one day preceding surgery to evaluate the preoperative urological function. Subjective symptoms were evaluated using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Cervical Myelopathy Evaluation Questionnaire before surgery and one year postoperatively. Results: Sixty-two patients (DCM: 50, DTM: 12) with a mean age of 63.2 years (men: 30, women: 32) were enrolled. The UDS revealed that 5 (8.1%) patients, all with DCM, exhibited completely normal UDS results, and the remaining 57 had at least one abnormal finding. Based on the International Continence Society classification, an underactive bladder was significantly more common in patients with DTM compared to patients with DCM (75.0% vs. 18.0%, p < 0.001). The results of the questionnaire showed that the voiding symptom IPSS were significantly worse, preoperatively, in patients with DTM (5.0 ± 4.4 [DCM] vs. 8.7 ± 4.5 [DTM]; p = 0.013). One year postoperatively, the IPSS grade of 24.0% of patients with DCM improved, whereas only one (8.3%) patient with DTM showed improvement. Conclusions: Patients with DTM reported worse voiding symptoms and exhibited more underactive bladders on UDS than patients with DCM before decompression. One year postoperatively, more patients with DCM showed subjective improvements in urinary function than those with DTM.

Onabotulinum Toxin-A (BTX-A) is a second-line treatment for neurogenic bladder (NB). It requires repeated injections over time, which is a possible limit for long-term adherence, especially in children, as general anesthesia is required. Almost 50% of adults discontinue therapy; few data on pediatric patients are present. The aim of this study is to share our long-term experience of BTX-A adherence in children. This study is a retrospective review of 230 refractory NB patients treated with BTX-A. The inclusion criteria were ≥3 treatments and the first injection performed ≥10 years before the study endpoint. Fifty-four patients were included. Mean follow-up was 10.2 years; mean treatment number was 6.4 for each patient. During follow-up, 7% did not need BTX-A anymore; 76% discontinued therapy, with a prevalence of acquired NB (64% acquired vs. 34% congenital; p = 0.03); sex-based and urodynamic findings did not influence the discontinuation rate (p = 0.6, p = 0.2, respectively). Considering those who withdrew from the therapy, 43% were lost to follow-up/died after a mean of 7.5 years (although 33% still experienced clinical efficacy); 33% changed therapy after a mean of 5.8 years (with reduced efficacy in 22%, persistent efficacy in 11%). BTX-A is a safe and effective therapy for pediatric patients. The treatment abandonment rate is higher for children than for adults; no specific reasons were highlighted. It is necessary to evaluate any age-specific factors to explain these data.

Gait impairment and neurogenic bladder are co-existing common findings in incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), evident to be a promising strategy adjunct to physical rehabilitation to regain normal ambulation in SCI. However, there is a need to evaluate the role of Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), a type of patterned rTMS in restoring gait and neurogenic bladder in SCI patients. The aim of the present study is to quantify the effect of iTBS on spatiotemporal, kinetic, and kinematic parameters of gait and neurogenic bladder dyssynergia in iSCI. After maturing all exclusion and inclusion criteria, thirty iSCI patients will be randomly divided into three groups: Group-A (sham), Group-B (active rTMS) and Group-C (active iTBS). Each group will receive stimulation adjunct to physical rehabilitation for 2 weeks. All patients will undergo gait analysis, as well assessment of bladder, electrophysiological, neurological, functional, and psychosocial parameters. All parameters will be assessed at baseline and 6th week (1st follow-up). Parameters except urodynamics and gait analysis will also be assessed after the end of the 2 weeks of the intervention (post-intervention) and at 12th week (2nd follow-up). Appropriate statistical analysis will be done using various parametric and non-parametric tests based on results.

Vesicostomy is a temporary solution for patients with bladder outlet challenger who are not eligible for catheterization. A 73 year-old man who has successfully managed his bladder using a vesicostomy for 59 years. Complications of prolapse and dermatitis led to vesicostomy closure and cystostomy placement at age 73. Vesicostomy can be safely used to preserve bladder and upper urinary tract health for a lifetime.

Neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) is common in patients with central nervous system (CNS) lesions. Cases of cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), Parkinson\'s disease, dementia, and other intracranial lesions develop poor bladder control with or without urinary difficulty due to loss of cortical perception of bladder filling sensation and poor coordination of urethral sphincter relaxation during reflex micturition. Patients with CNS lesions usually have overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms, including urgency, frequency, incontinence, voiding symptoms of dysuria, large postvoid residual volume, and retention. In elderly patients with severe CNS disease the OAB symptoms are usually difficult to adequately relieve by medical treatment, and thus, their quality of life is greatly. Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) is currently licensed and has been applied in patients with idiopathic and neurogenic OAB due to spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis. However, the application of BoNT-A in the treatment of urinary incontinence due to NLUTD in chronic CNS lesions has not been well-documented. Although cohort studies and case series support BoNT-A treatment for neurogenic OAB, chronic urine retention after intravesical BoNT-A injection for OAB and exacerbated urinary incontinence after urethral BoNT-A injection for voiding dysfunction have greatly limited its application among patients with NLUTD due to CNS lesions. This article reviews the pathophysiology and clinical characteristics of NLUTD in patients with CNS lesions and the clinical effects and adverse events of BoNT-A injection for patients with NLUTD. A flowchart was created to outline the patient selection and treatment strategy for neurogenic OAB.

DNA methylation is an epigenetic process that commonly occurs in genes\' promoters and results in the transcriptional silencing of genes. DNA methylation is a frequent event in bladder cancer, participating in tumor initiation and progression. Bladder cancer is a major health issue in patients suffering from neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD), although the pathogenetic mechanisms of the disease remain unclear. In this population, bladder cancer is characterized by aggressive histopathology, advanced stage during diagnosis, and high mortality rates. To assess the DNA methylation profiles of five genes\' promoters previously known to be associated with bladder cancer in bladder tissue of NLUTD patients, we conducted a prospective study recruiting NLUTD patients from the neuro-urology unit of a public teaching hospital. Cystoscopy combined with biopsy for bladder cancer screening was performed in all patients following written informed consent being obtained. Quantitative methylation-specific PCR was used to determine the methylation status of RASSF1, RARβ, DAPK, hTERT, and APC genes\' promoters in bladder tissue samples. Twenty-four patients suffering from mixed NLUTD etiology for a median duration of 10 (IQR: 12) years were recruited in this study. DNA hypermethylation was detected in at least one gene of the panel in all tissue samples. RAR-β was hypermethylated in 91.7% samples, RASSF and DAPK were hypermethylated in 83.3% samples, APC 37.5% samples, and TERT in none of the tissue samples. In 45.8% of the samples, three genes of the panel were hypermethylated, in 29.2% four genes were hypermethylated, and in 16.7% and in 8.3% of the samples, two and one gene were hypermethylated, respectively. The number of hypermethylated genes of the panel was significantly associated with recurrent UTIs (p = 0.0048). No other significant association was found between DNA hypermethylation or the number of hypermethylated genes and the clinical characteristics of the patients. Histopathological findings were normal in 8.3% of patients, while chronic inflammation was found in 83.3% of patients and squamous cell metaplasia in 16.7% of patients. In this study, we observed high rates of DNA hypermethylation of genes associated with bladder cancer in NLUTD patients, suggesting an epigenetic field effect and possible risk of bladder cancer development. Recurrent UTIs seem to be associated with increased DNA hypermethylation. Further research is needed to evaluate the impact of recurrent UTIs and chronic inflammation in DNA hypermethylation and bladder cancer etiopathogenesis in NLUTD patients.