Transcutaneous Peripheral Neuromodulation for Neurogenic Bladder

Neurogenic bladder patients may have symptoms of urinary frequency, urgency, urgency incontinence and voiding symptoms due to bladder dysfunction arising from their underlying neurologic condition. Current treatment options are effective for some patients, however many patients are not optimally managed due to modest efficacy or significant side effects. Second line therapies include intravesical onabotulinum toxin, however it is associated with a risk of urinary retention, and patients with neurologic disorders often are unable to perform self catheterize due to physical limitations. Sacral neuromodulation is associated with an undesirably high cost and potential complications in this population. The use of transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation is an alternative form of neuromodulation, and it may have some potential benefits over percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation. While some preliminary studies have suggested it may be effective, there are no high quality randomized trials. This proposal is a 3 month, randomized, sham-controlled, clinical trial to evaluate the short term clinical efficacy of at home transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation. Valid and reliable patient reported outcome measures, and objective measures of incontinence have been included as outcomes.