A portable device for experimental treatment of neurogenic detrusor overactivity

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of automatic event-driven electrical stimulation on the dorsal penile/clitoral nerve for management of neurogenic detrusor overactivity in spinal cord injured subjects. In order to reach the objectives it was necessary to design and realize a portable device for ambulatory urodynamic studies which was able to activate an electrical stimulator when the detrusor pressure exceeded a certain threshold. The developed device was repeatedly tested in a healthy subject and subsequently tested in a spinal cord injured subject. In testing the automatic event-driven system in the spinal cord injured subject, detrusor contractions were successfully inhibited until a certain bladder volume was reached and no incontinence episodes were observed prior to disabling the system. The preliminary results indicate that automatic event-driven electrical stimulation on the dorsal penile/clitoral nerve can inhibit involuntary detrusor contractions in spinal cord injured subjects and hereby restore continence and increase bladder capacity.