Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a chronic pain condition creating a wide range of urologic and pain symptoms. There is currently limited evidence to understand the mechanisms of IC/BPS. There have been recent studies suggesting that altered function in brain motor areas, particularly the supplementary motor cortex (SMA), relates to altered bladder sensorimotor control and may play an important role in IC/BPS. This study aims to provide evidence that non-invasive stimulation targeting the motor cortex may help reduce IC/BPS pain, as well as better understand the neural mechanism by which this stimulation targets neuromuscular dysfunction. This study is a two-group quadruple-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) of active vs. sham repetitive transmagnetic stimulation (rTMS). In addition, our study will also include functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), pelvic floor electromyography (EMG), pelvic exam, and outcome measures and questionnaires to further study outcomes.
All aspects of the study were approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Southern California (protocol HS-20-01021). All participants provided informed consent by the research coordinator/assistants. The results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated at scientific conferences.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04734847. Registered on February 1, 2021.
Trials. 2024 Sep 12*** epublish ***
Eileen V Johnson, Molly Bachmann, Moheb S Yani, Sandrah P Eckel, Giselle I Garcia, Larissa V Rodriguez, Jason J Kutch
Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA. ., Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA., David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA., Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA., Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.