Overactive bladder: pharmacologic treatments in the neurogenic population

Patients with neurologic disease commonly develop overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms of urgency, frequency, and/or urge incontinence. Although treatment for idiopathic OAB has been extensively studied, therapy for those individuals with neurogenic-mediated OAB has not been thoroughly evaluated. Included in the present article is a description of micturition neurophysiology and a neurourologic evaluation scheme. The pharmacologic treatment options for neurogenic OAB, mainly antimuscarinics and chemical denervation, are reviewed and important studies are discussed. Management of OAB in the neurogenic population is a complex issue with no uniform treatment strategy, and individualized treatment with first-line pharmacologic therapy is often recommended.