SACRAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION USING INTERMITTENT THETA BURST STIMULATION IN ANESTHETIZED RATS: A NOVEL THERAPEUTIC APPROACH TO TREAT OVERACTIVE BLADDER - COGI 2023 The 31st World Congress on Controversies in Obstetrics, Gynecology & Infertility

Nurida Khasanah ^1,2 Chih-Wei Peng ^1,3,4

¹Graduate Institute of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei
²Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta
³School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei
⁴School of Gerontology and Long-Term Care, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei

Problem statement

Overactive bladder (OAB) is notably widespread among women, and its prevalence tends to increase with advancing age. The existing treatment options to address OAB continue to pose challenges for refractory cases and might entail invasive procedures. This study sought to assess the potential effect of magnetic stimulation of the sacral roots using intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) as a non-invasive treatment option for OAB.

Methods

Forty-one urethane-anesthetized female rats were utilized. Repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) using iTBS in the sacral nerve was done in normal healthy rats and OAB model rats. The OAB model was established using transvesical infusion of 0.5% acetic acid (AA). Urodynamics data, including first voiding time (Tv) and inter-continence interval time (ICI) were collected through cystometography with continuous bladder infusion during acute and after sacral rPMS.

Results

The OAB model was established by infusing continuous saline subsequent to 0.5% AA treatment, resulting in a substantial reduction of Tv and ICI to 42% and 56% of the corresponding control values, respectively. In normal healthy rats, acute rPMS iTBS at 100% intensity resulted in a significant increase of the ICI to 121%. While pre-treatment of rPMS using iTBS at 100% intensity resulted in a significant elongation of the Tv in normal healthy rats to 132%. In OAB model rats, acute rPMS using iTBS at 100% intensity on the sacral nerve effectively inhibited AA-induced detrusor overactivity and significantly increased ICI to 167-222%.

Conclusion

Sacral nerve rPMS with iTBS demonstrated the ability to suppress AA-induced detrusor overactivity. This encouraging technique holds the potential to serve as an alternative approach to enhance bladder continence in patients with overactive bladder syndrome.