Functional MRI in neuro-urology: A narrative review

Mazeaud, Charles; Salazar, Betsy; Braun, M.; Hossu, Gabriela; Khavari, Rose

doi:10.1016/j.purol.2023.03.002

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Neuroimaging studies incorporating manipulation of bladder volumes and assessment of bladder sensations with brain activity and connectivity patterns may help to further understand the impact of aging-associated changes in bladder sensory innervation. Recent neuroimaging developments in the field of neuro-urology highlight the added value of interdisciplinary approaches to improve our understanding of the central control of the lower urinary tract [ 27 - 29 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantification of Aging-Related Decreases in Sensory Innervation of the Bladder Trigone in Rats

Rijk,

Peter,

Wolf-Johnston

et al. 2024

Int Neurourol J

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Purpose: The prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), characterized by problems regarding storage and/or voiding of urine, is known to significantly increase with age. Effective communication between the lower urinary tract and the central nervous system (CNS) is essential for the optimal function of this system, and heavily relies on the efficient interaction between the bladder urothelium and the afferent nerve fibers situated in close proximity to the urothelium within the lamina propria.Methods: We aimed to quantify aging-related differences in the expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP, an established marker for sensory nerve fibers) in the trigonal mucosal layers of young (3–4 months) and aged (25–30 months) rats. We evaluated trigonal tissue from 3 animals per age group. Tissue was serially sectioned at 10 μm and stained for CGRP. Images were taken along the full length of the tissue. For each image we computed the total CGRP-positive area (μm<sup>2</sup>) and the median value for each animal was used for further analysis.Results: Upon statistical analysis the aged rats show a significantly lower CGRP-positive area compared to young rats (P=0.0049). These results indicate that aging has a negative effect on the area of CGRP-positive signal in the trigone.Conclusions: The structural and functional integrity of the sensory web in the trigonum of rats is negatively affected by the aging process, potentially leading to impaired communication between the bladder urothelium the CNS. Consequently, these perturbations in the sensory system may contribute to the pathogenesis or exacerbation LUTS.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantification of Aging-Related Decreases in Sensory Innervation of the Bladder Trigone in Rats

Rijk,

Peter,

Wolf-Johnston

et al. 2024

Int Neurourol J

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The evaluation may include urodynamic studies, which assess bladder function and the coordination between the bladder and the urethra during the filling and emptying phases [ 4 , 5 ]. Neuroimaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [ 6 ] or computed tomography (CT) [ 7 ], may also be utilized to visualize the structures or the control of the urinary tract and identify anatomical or neurological abnormalities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuro-Urology and Biobanking: An Integrated Approach for Advancing Research and Improving Patient Care

Botter,

Kessler

2023

IJMS

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Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying neuro-urological disorders is crucial for the development of targeted therapeutic interventions. Through the establishment of comprehensive biobanks, researchers can collect and store various biological specimens, including urine, blood, tissue, and DNA samples, to study these mechanisms. In the context of neuro-urology, biobanking facilitates the identification of genetic variations, epigenetic modifications, and gene expression patterns associated with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. These conditions often present as symptoms of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, and many others. Biobanking of tissue specimens from such patients is essential to understand why these diseases cause the respective symptoms and what can be done to alleviate them. The utilization of high-throughput technologies, such as next-generation sequencing and gene expression profiling, enables researchers to explore the molecular landscape of these conditions in an unprecedented manner. The development of specific and reliable biomarkers resulting from these efforts may help in early detection, accurate diagnosis, and effective monitoring of neuro-urological conditions, leading to improved patient care and management. Furthermore, these biomarkers could potentially facilitate the monitoring of novel therapies currently under investigation in neuro-urological clinical trials. This comprehensive review explores the synergistic integration of neuro-urology and biobanking, with particular emphasis on the translation of biobanking approaches in molecular research in neuro-urology. We discuss the advantages of biobanking in neuro-urological studies, the types of specimens collected and their applications in translational research. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of standardization and quality assurance when collecting samples and discuss challenges that may compromise sample quality and impose limitations on their subsequent utilization. Finally, we give recommendations for sampling in multicenter studies, examine sustainability issues associated with biobanking, and provide future directions for this dynamic field.

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White Matter Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Measures in Multiple Sclerosis with Overactive Bladder

Yang,

Liechti,

Kanber

et al. 2024

Brain Sciences

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Background: Lower urinary tract (LUT) symptoms are reported in more than 80% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), most commonly an overactive bladder (OAB). The relationship between brain white matter (WM) changes in MS and OAB symptoms is poorly understood. Objectives: We aim to evaluate (i) microstructural WM differences across MS patients (pwMS) with OAB symptoms, patients without LUT symptoms, and healthy subjects using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and (ii) associations between clinical OAB symptom scores and DTI indices. Methods: Twenty-nine female pwMS [mean age (SD) 43.3 years (9.4)], including seventeen with OAB [mean age (SD) 46.1 years (8.6)] and nine without LUT symptoms [mean age (SD) 37.5 years (8.9)], and fourteen healthy controls (HCs) [mean age (SD) 48.5 years (20)] were scanned in a 3T MRI with a DTI protocol. Additionally, clinical scans were performed for WM lesion segmentation. Group differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) were evaluated using tract-based spatial statistics. The Urinary Symptom Profile questionnaire assessed OAB severity. Results: A statistically significant reduction in FA (p = 0.004) was identified in microstructural WM in pwMS, compared with HCs. An inverse correlation was found between FA in frontal and parietal WM lobes and OAB scores (p = 0.021) in pwMS. Areas of lower FA, although this did not reach statistical significance, were found in both frontal lobes and the rest of the non-dominant hemisphere in pwMS with OAB compared with pwMS without LUT symptoms (p = 0.072). Conclusions: This study identified that lesions affecting different WM tracts in MS can result in OAB symptoms and demonstrated the role of the WM in the neural control of LUT functions. By using DTI, the association between OAB symptom severity and WM changes were identified, adding knowledge to the current LUT working model. As MS is predominantly a WM disease, these findings suggest that regional WM involvement, including of the anterior corona radiata, anterior thalamic radiation, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and superior frontal-occipital fasciculus and a non-dominant prevalence in WM, can result in OAB symptoms. OAB symptoms in MS correlate with anisotropy changes in different white matter tracts as demonstrated by DTI. Structural impairment in WM tracts plays an important role in LUT symptoms in MS.

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Functional MRI in neuro-urology: A narrative review

Cited by 3 publications

References 48 publications

Quantification of Aging-Related Decreases in Sensory Innervation of the Bladder Trigone in Rats

Quantification of Aging-Related Decreases in Sensory Innervation of the Bladder Trigone in Rats

Neuro-Urology and Biobanking: An Integrated Approach for Advancing Research and Improving Patient Care

White Matter Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Measures in Multiple Sclerosis with Overactive Bladder

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