To assess the impact of parasacral transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (parasacral TENS) on quality of life (QoL) and psychological aspects in children treated for overactive bladder (OAB).
This international, multicenter, prospective cohort study involved individuals of 6-16 years of age under TENS treatment for OAB. The study was conducted between June 2016 and December 2019 in four participating centers: two in Australia, one in Germany and one in Brazil. Patients with anatomical and/or neurological abnormalities of the urinary tract were excluded. Questionnaires were applied before and after parasacral TENS treatment: the Dysfunctional Voiding Symptom Score (DVSS), used in Brazil, or the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Pediatric Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (ICIQ-CLUTS), used in Germany and Australia, to analyze urinary symptoms; the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to assess emotional and behavioral aspects; and the Pediatric Incontinence Questionnaire (PinQ) for bladder-specific Qol.
Fifty-three patients (28 girls and 25 boys) with a mean age of 8.64 ± 2.63 years were included. Median DVSS was 11 (range 6-13.5) and 3 (range 0-7), (p < 0.001), and median ICIQ-CLUTS was 12 (range 9-14) and 9 (range 5.7-12), (p < 0.001), before and after treatment, respectively. Median PinQ score decreased from 47.8 (range 38.9-59.7) to 39 (range 29-53.15) following treatment (p = 0.04). Median total SDQ score before and after treatment was 17 (range 13.5-21) and 15 (range 12-21), respectively (p = 0.939).
Parasacral TENS was associated with a significant improvement in urinary symptoms and QoL; however, there was no change in psychological symptoms, as measured using the SDQ.
Journal of pediatric urology. 2022 Oct 08 [Epub ahead of print]
Herbert Leão S Santos, Patrina Caldwell, Justine Hussong, Alexander von Gontard, Glicia Estevam de Abreu, Ana Aparecida Braga, Maria Luiza Veiga, Sana Hamilton, Aniruddh Deshpande, Ubirajara Barroso
Center for Childhood Urinary Disorders (CEDIMI), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil., The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia., Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany., Psychiatric Services Graubünden (PDGR), Outpatient Services for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Chur, Switzerland; Governor Kremers Centre, Department of Urology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands., The Children's Hospital at Westmead and John Hunter Children's Hospital, Newcastle, Australia., Center for Childhood Urinary Disorders (CEDIMI), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Electronic address: .