Treatment Efficacy for Overactive Bladder: Comparing Education, Biofeedback, and Nerve Stimulation

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Behavioral: Participants receive standard oral education on Pelvic Floor Muscle Training (PFMT). They are instructed to perform daily home-based pelvic floor exercises and track their compliance and exercise frequency using a smartphone timer application. Clinical assessments and educational reinforcements are conducted at weeks 0, 2, 4, and 8.

Enraf-Nonius EMG-Biofeedback Unit (Biofeedback only): Participants undergo biofeedback-assisted Pelvic Floor Muscle Training (PFMT) using the Enraf-Nonius EMG-Biofeedback Unit. During clinic visits at weeks 0, 2, 4, and 8, the device is used to assist patients in accurately identifying and contracting the correct pelvic floor muscles. In addition to clinic sessions, participants perform and track daily home-based PFMT.

Enraf-Nonius EMG-Biofeedback Unit (Biofeedback + Electrical Stimulation): Participants receive biofeedback-assisted PFMT combined with percutaneous tibial nerve electrical stimulation using the Enraf-Nonius device. During clinic visits at weeks 0, 2, 4, and 8, patients receive a 30 to 40-minute session of electrical stimulation (parameters: 20 Hz, 200 μs, with intensity progressively adjusted to the maximum tolerable painless threshold). Participants also perform and track daily home-based PFMT.

Study summary

The purpose of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of different behavioral therapies and neuromodulation for treating women with idiopathic Overactive Bladder (OAB). The study aims to compare three 8-week treatment plans: oral education on Pelvic Floor Muscle Training (PFMT), biofeedback-assisted PFMT, and biofeedback-assisted PFMT combined with tibial nerve electrical stimulation using the "Enraf-Nonius" EMG-Biofeedback Unit. The main question it aims to answer is whether adding biofeedback and peripheral nerve stimulation provides better relief for OAB symptoms (such as urinary urgency, frequency, and nocturia) compared to standard oral education on PFMT alone. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the three treatment groups and will track their daily pelvic floor exercises at home using a smartphone timer application. The study will also analyze whether patients with different OAB phenotypes (OAB-wet versus OAB-dry) respond differently to these treatment interventions.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Change in Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) — Baseline (Week 0), Week 2, Week 4, and Week 8
  he OABSS is a validated, self-administered questionnaire used as a core clinical scale to evaluate the severity of overactive bladder symptoms. It consists of four items: daytime frequency, nighttime frequency, urgency, and urgency incontinence. The total score is calculated by summing the scores of the four items, with a higher total score indicating more severe OAB symptoms. The primary endpoint will evaluate the change in the total score from baseline to the end of the 8-week intervention.
• Change in 3-day Bladder Diary Parameters — Baseline (Week 0) and Week 8
  Participants will record their voiding habits over a 72-hour period, including fluid intake, number of micturitions (frequency), and number of urinary incontinence episodes.

Trial sites (1)

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