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Skin sympathetic nerve activity as a potential biomarker for overactive bladder
Yu-Chen Chen1,2,3, Hao-Wei Chen1,2,4, Tien-Chi Huang5
1Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
World Journal of Urology
|March 27, 2023
Summary
Overactive bladder (OAB) is linked to increased sympathetic nerve activity, measurable by neuECG. Treatment reduced this activity, suggesting skin sympathetic nerve activity (aSKNA) may help diagnose OAB.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Autonomic Neuroscience
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Autonomic dysfunction is implicated in overactive bladder (OAB) pathophysiology.
- Traditional autonomic assessment relies on heart rate variability, but novel methods offer deeper insights.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess autonomic nervous function in OAB patients versus controls using neuECG.
- To evaluate changes in autonomic function before and after OAB treatment.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study included 23 OAB patients and 29 controls.
- Autonomic function was measured using neuECG, analyzing average skin sympathetic nerve activity (aSKNA) and ECG.
- OAB patients received antimuscarinics; urodynamics and symptom questionnaires were used for evaluation.
Main Results:
- OAB patients exhibited significantly higher baseline aSKNA compared to controls (p=0.003).
- Baseline aSKNA effectively predicted OAB (AUROC=0.783, p<0.001) and correlated with urgency parameters.
- aSKNA significantly decreased post-treatment in OAB patients.
Conclusions:
- Patients with OAB demonstrate heightened sympathetic activity, which is reduced by treatment.
- Increased aSKNA is associated with diminished bladder capacity for desired voiding.
- Skin sympathetic nerve activity (aSKNA) shows potential as a diagnostic biomarker for OAB.
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