Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 28, 2025
Urinary Bladder Distention Evoked Visceromotor Responses as a Model for Bladder Pain in Mice
Published on: April 27, 2014
Closed-loop sacral neuromodulation for bladder function using dorsal root ganglia sensory feedback in an anesthetized
Zhonghua Ouyang1,2, Nikolas Barrera1,2, Zachariah J Sperry1,2
1Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
This study developed a closed-loop sacral neuromodulation system for overactive bladder, using neural recordings to control bladder pressure. This improved bladder capacity and reduced stimulation time, offering a promising new therapy.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering
- Urology
Background:
- Overactive bladder (OAB) significantly impairs quality of life due to urinary urgency and frequency.
- Current sacral neuromodulation (SNM) therapies are often open-loop, lacking real-time adaptation.
- Developing adaptive SNM requires precise bladder pressure monitoring and responsive stimulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance open-loop SNM by creating a conditional stimulation paradigm.
- To utilize dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neural recordings for sensory feedback in SNM.
- To establish real-time bladder pressure estimation for closed-loop control.
Main Methods:
- Experiments were conducted in 5 anesthetized felines.
- A Kalman filter-based algorithm decoded bladder pressure from DRG neural activity.
- Sacral root electrical stimulation was triggered by detected increases in bladder pressure.
- Closed-loop neuromodulation was compared against continuous and no stimulation during cystometry.
Main Results:
- Closed-loop SNM increased bladder capacity by 13.8% compared to no stimulation (p < 0.001).
- Stimulation time was reduced by 57.7% compared to continuous stimulation.
- Bladder sensory neuron activity showed reduced sensitivity during stimulation, with higher firing thresholds.
Conclusions:
- Decoding bladder pressure from neural activity enables effective closed-loop control of SNM.
- A potential mechanism of SNM involves reducing bladder sensory neuron activity.
- Further validation in behavioral studies is crucial before clinical application of closed-loop SNM.
More Related Videos
10:07Cystometric and External Urethral Sphincter Measurements in Awake Rats with Implanted Catheter and Electrodes Allowing for Repeated Measurements
Published on: January 30, 2018
10:19Evaluation of Biomaterials for Bladder Augmentation using Cystometric Analyses in Various Rodent Models
Published on: August 9, 2012