• Jan Krhut, Jaroslav Tintěra, Michal Rejchrt, Barbora Skugarevska, Michal Grepl, Roman Zachoval, Peter Zvara, and BlokBertil F MBFMDepartment of Urology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands..
• Department of Urology, University Hospital, Ostrava, Czech Republic; Department of Surgical Studies, Ostrava University, Ostrava, Czech Republic. Electronic address: jan.krhut@fno.cz.
• Neuromodulation. 2024 Feb 1; 27 (2): 353359353-359.

ObjectivesIn this study, we aimed to investigate whether peroneal electrical Transcutaneous Neuromodulation invented for overactive bladder (OAB) treatment elicits activation in brain regions involved in neural regulation of the lower urinary tract.Materials And MethodsAmong 22 enrolled healthy female volunteers, 13 were eligible for the final analysis. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) (Siemens VIDA 3T; Erlangen, Germany) was used to compare the brain region activation elicited by peroneal electrical Transcutaneous Neuromodulation with the activation elicited by sham stimulation. Each subject underwent brain fMRI recording during eight 30-second periods of rest, alternating with 30-second periods of passive feet movement using the sham device, mimicking the motor response to peroneal nerve stimulation. Subsequently, fMRI recording was performed during the analogic "off-on" stimulation paradigm using peroneal electrical transcutaneous neuromodulation. Magnetic resonance imaging data acquired during both paradigms were compared using individual and group statistics.ResultsDuring both peroneal electrical Transcutaneous Neuromodulation and sham feet movements, we observed activation of the primary motor cortex and supplementary motor area, corresponding to the cortical projection of lower limb movement. During peroneal electrical Transcutaneous Neuromodulation, we observed significant activations in the brain stem, cerebellum, cingulate gyrus, putamen, operculum, and anterior insula, which were not observed during the sham feet movement.ConclusionsOur study provides evidence that peroneal electrical Transcutaneous Neuromodulation elicits activation of brain structures that have been previously implicated in the perception of bladder fullness and that play a role in the ability to cope with urinary urgency. Our data suggest that neuromodulation at the level of supraspinal control of the lower urinary tract may contribute to the treatment effect of peroneal electrical Transcutaneous Neuromodulation in patients with OAB.Copyright © 2022 International Neuromodulation Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

17 keywords...

hide…