New Imaging Techniques on the Horizon to Study Overactive and Neurogenic Bladder

This review will focus on the current usage and the potential future applications of new imaging techniques on the horizon to study overactive and neurogenic bladder.

Bladder Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used to non-invasively identify bladder outlet obstruction, detrusor overactivity, and other forms of voiding dysfunction, but motion artifact has been a limiting factor preventing widespread adaptation. However, newer NIRS units employ accelerometers which enable isolation and splicing of motion and on-going studies show renewed promise for bladder NIRS. Ultrasound has been successfully used to evaluate bladder outlet obstruction and other forms of LUT. Techniques including m-mode evaluation of micromotion, as well as the assessment of bladder wall thickness, bladder weight, shape/circularity, vibrometry, and elastography have been explored. Dynamic bladder functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is the newest bladder imaging technology on the horizon and provides a novel method to assess bladder function alongside real-time high-resolution 3D anatomic images.

Bladder imaging techniques including NIRS, ultrasound, and functional fMRI have been developed and are now being used as noninvasive techniques that could potentially supplement, or even replace, traditional Urodynamics.