[Female overactive bladder syndrome and autonomic nervous system]

Abstract

Purpose: To analyse the hypothesis of an autonomic nervous system dysfunction in the female's idiopathic overactive bladder syndrome, by a literature review.

Method: A systematic literature review (Pubmed, Medline, Cochrane database) concerning women presenting with overactive bladder syndrome and cardiovascular explorations of the autonomic nervous system (heart rate variability and cardiovascular tests). Keywords used for search: overactive bladder syndrome, female urinary incontinence, urge incontinence, autonomic nervous system.

Results: Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis among women with overactive bladder syndrome and controls has shown a difference between both, with is a global decrease of the heart rate variability parameters, or a relative increase of the sympathetic tone in overactive bladder syndrome. The sympathetic cardiovascular tests were more frequently abnormal among women presenting with overactive bladder syndrome than controls.

Conclusion: All these studies suggest a sympathetic dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system in female's overactive bladder syndrome, but methodologies are too variable and the studies population too small to establish a pathophysiological link.