Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026
Breathing-controlled Electrical Stimulation (BreEStim) for Management of Neuropathic Pain and Spasticity
Published on: January 10, 2013
Sacral nerve stimulation for the overactive bladder
Wendy W Leng1, Shelby N Morrisroe
1Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3471 Fifth Avenue, Suite 700, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. lengww@upmc.edu
Abstract:
Pharmacotherapy is the first-line treatment for overactive bladder, but many patients discontinue drug therapy because of intolerable side effects, expense, or lack of longterm adherence. Alternative treatments are needed for patients who are unable to tolerate pharmacotherapy or who do not derive the desired benefits. Sacral nerve stimulation therapy has evolved into one of the most widely accepted treatment modalities in the arena of neurourology. Sacral nerve stimulation activates or "resets" the somatic afferent inputs that play a pivotal role in the modulation of sensory processing for micturition reflex pathways in the spinal cord. This minimally invasive technology offers a safe, reliable, and durable treatment for lower urinary tract dysfunction.
Related Concept Videos
01:26The Micturition Reflex
The process begins with bladder filling, where the bladder wall stretches as urine accumulates. This stretching activates the urine storage reflex, mediated by the sacral spinal segments and the pontine storage center. Efferent sympathetic impulses stimulate the detrusor muscle to relax and the internal urethral sphincter to contract, facilitating urine...
01:23Urinary Bladder
In males, the bladder is situated in front of the rectum, while in females, it is positioned anterior to the vagina and uterus. The bladder floor contains an inverted triangular area called the trigone, defined by the two ureteric...