Functional magnetic stimulation: a new method for the treatment of girls with primary nocturnal enuresis?

The aim of our ongoing study was to evaluate the potential clinical and urodynamic effects of functional magnetic stimulation (FMS) compared to a placebo in the treatment of girls with primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE).

Twenty girls with PNE (mean age 10.8 years, range 6-14 years) were included in the study and randomly divided into two groups, the active FMS group (10 girls) and the placebo group (10 girls). All girls were asked to wear Pulsegen stimulators day and night for 2 months. FMS was applied continuously at 18.5 Hz. Clinical parameters were documented and urodynamic evaluation was performed before and after FMS. Data were analyzed using non-parametric statistics.

The number of weekly PNE episodes decreased significantly after FMS compared to the placebo (P=0.007). In the active group the number of PNE episodes fell from 3.1 to 1.3 per week (P=0.028). Three girls from the active group were completely dry and four were significantly improved. In the FMS group a significant (P=0.022) increase in bladder volume at the strong desire to void was observed. Also, an increase in bladder volume at the first desire to void was observed, although this was not statistically significant (P=0.059).

According to the preliminary results of our study, FMS represents a promising new method for the treatment of girls with PNE.