NCT05422625

PTNS for Female Patients Suffering From Multiple Sclerosis

Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation (PTNS) Therapy for Female Patients Suffering From Multiple Sclerosis

• Status: Terminated
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 2 (actual)
• Sponsor: Corewell Health East · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This is a pilot, single blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial to assess the benefit of Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation (PTNS) in treating bladder overactivity (OAB) symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The data generated by this study would provide support for a future multi-institutional, randomized prospective trial.

Detailed description

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, progressive inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system. It is caused by loss of myelin, the outer protective layer of the neuron, resulting in a disruption of the signal potentials that flow through the neurons. This can lead to a variety of sensory, visual, and motor disturbances. MS affects almost 1 million people in the United States with the prevalence being two to three times higher in women than in men. Over 80% of MS patients suffer from lower urinary tract symptoms, with OAB and urinary incontinence (UI) being the predominant bladder dysfunctions. OAB is characterized by sudden feeling of urgency, frequent urination, and urge incontinence. PTNS is an FDA approved treatment for OAB and is recommended as third line treatment for OAB by the American Urological Association (AUA) and Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction (SUFU). However, it is not approved for MS and as such these treatments are not covered by insurance. Here the investigators propose a pilot, double blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial to assess the benefit of PTNS in treating OAB symptoms in MS patients. The data generated by this study would provide support for a future multi-institutional, randomized prospective trial.

Conditions

• Multiple Sclerosis
• Overactive Bladder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	PTNS Treatment	Patients will be placed in a comfortable position, sitting or supine. The treatment leg will be propped up comfortably on a footrest but draped and out of view from the patient. A 34-gauge needle electrode will be inserted at a 60-degree angle 5 cm cephalad to the medial malleolus and slightly posterior to the tibia. A PTNS surface electrode will be placed on the ipsilateral calcaneus as well as 2 inactive sham surface electrodes, 1 under the little toe and 1 on the top of the foot. When the PTNS lead set is connected to the Urgent PC stimulator, a current level of 0.5 to 9 mA at 20 Hz is selected based on each patient's foot and plantar motor and sensory responses. Treatment lasts 30 minutes and given once weekly for 12 consecutive weeks.
DEVICE	Sham PTNS Treatment	Patients will be positioned similarly as PTNS patients. A Streitberger needle will be used at the tibial nerve insertion site as described above to simulate needle placement. Three electrodes will be placed on the patient's foot, two active TENS electrodes and one inactive TENS electrode. The TENS "grounding pad" will be a gel electrode pad from a TENS unit device that is placed on the bottom of the foot just below the smallest toe. Another gel electrode will be placed on the top of the foot just above the small toe for conduction. These two electrodes will be connected to the TENS unit lead wires for sham stimulation. A third, inactive, gel electrode, will be placed near the medial aspect of the calcaneus to mimic the PTNS treatment. The TENS electrode will be connected by lead wires to the TENS unit set at 20 HZ. The TENS unit will be turned on and stimulation slowly increased to the patient's first sensory level and then turned off.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-01-09
• Primary completion: 2023-04-10
• Completion: 2023-08-03
• First posted: 2022-06-16
• Last updated: 2024-10-09
• Results posted: 2024-10-09

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated device study