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Non-continuous neuromodulation in awake, unrestrained felines increases bladder capacity
Miguel Ortiz-Lopez1, Zhonghua Ouyang1, Anagha Kotkar1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States.
Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express
|June 22, 2026
Summary
Non-continuous stimulation (NCS) effectively increased bladder capacity in awake felines, similar to continuous stimulation. This neuromodulation technique also allowed for bladder pressure estimation from dorsal root ganglia signals, reducing stimulation time.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Urology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Neuromodulation is a standard treatment for overactive bladder.
- Previous research showed non-continuous stimulation (NCS) increases bladder capacity and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) activity predicts bladder pressure in anesthetized animals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if NCS increases bladder capacity similarly to continuous stimulation (CS) in awake felines.
- To determine if bladder pressure can be estimated from DRG signals in awake, unrestrained felines.
Main Methods:
- Chronic implants in felines for nerve stimulation and bladder pressure monitoring.
- NCS and CS applied to pudendal or sacral nerves during bladder fills.
- DRG neural activity recorded to estimate bladder pressure and trigger NCS.
Main Results:
- NCS increased bladder capacity comparably to CS (122% vs. 121% of control).
- NCS reduced stimulation time by an average of 46%.
- Moderate correlations (0.46-0.64) were achieved between predicted and measured bladder pressure from DRG signals.
Conclusions:
- NCS is a feasible method to increase bladder capacity in awake felines.
- Bladder pressure can be decoded from DRG recordings in awake animals.
- Further research is needed to optimize NCS for clinical applications.
