The study is to determine the effect of electroacupuncture in female patients with urgency-predominant mixed urinary incontinence. A three-arm non-inferior randomized controlled trial (RCT) using electroacupuncture, sham electroacupuncture and solifenacin with a total sample of 282 is proposed. The hypothesis is that the improvement (difference in number of urgency urinary incontinence episodes between baseline and 12-week evaluation) in the electroacupuncture group would be 50% or less of the difference in the improvement between the Solifenacin and the sham electroacupuncture groups.
Mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) features complaint or involuntary loss of urine associated with urgency and also with effort or physical exertion or on sneezing or coughing. It is regarded as urgency-predominant mixed urinary incontinence (UMUI) when sudden sensation of voiding accompanied by uncontrolled incontinence domains the symptoms. UMUI can bring shame and inconvenience to patients. As first-line medicine for urge-predominant urinary incontinence, Solifenacin can reduce urgency urinary incontinence episodes in 24 hours. However, the side effects tend to bring about poor compliance among patients. Acupuncture might be effective in treating UMUI. Previous research indicated that electroacupuncture might be noninferior to pelvic floor muscle training plus Solifenacin in reducing the urgency incontinence episodes of UMUI women. However, that study didn't focuse on UMUI exclusively, thus unable to decide whether electroacupuncture is effective in the treatment of UMUI.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
282
BL33 and BL35 are inserted by needles of 0.30×75mm size till a depth of 60\~70mm. SP6 is inserted by needle of 0.30×40mm size till a depth of 25-30mm. After manipulation and deqi sensation generation, the electrodes will be attached to the acupoints transversely with 20Hz continuous wave and an electricity current of 2mA-6.5mA at BL33 and BL35, and 1-3.5mA at SP6. The current is adjusted from zero to the degree where patients can tolerate. Subjects receive 3 sessions per week（every other day ideally) for 12 weeks, 36 sessions in total.
In sham electroacupuncture group, sham acupoints 1 cun(≈15mm） horizontally outwardly lateral to BL33 and BL35, and 0.5 cun (≈10mm) horizontally behind SP6 are stimulated by needles of 0.30×40mm size. The needles are inserted to a depth of 2-3mm to stand still, without any manipulation and sensation of deqi. The electrodes will also be attached to needles with an electricity current of 0.1-0.3mA. The sessions will be the same as the electroacupuncture group.
Subjects take solifenacin 5-10mg per day for a succession of 36 weeks. The dose change is decided by doctors under a comprehensive consideration of side effects and Patient Global Symptom Control (PGSC), which is applied to evaluate the effectiveness of Solifenacin at the 4th, 8th, 12th and 24th week.The medicine can be discontinued at any time if the adverse effect is rather severe.
Guang An Men Hospital
Beijing, China
RECRUITINGChange of urgency urinary incontinence episodes in average 24 hours from baseline based on 3-day voiding diary.
3-day voiding diary is a reliable objective method to quantify the incontinence episode frequency and are a sensitive measurement to monitor the treatment response. In voiding diary, voiding episodes, urgency episodes, incontinence episodes, the volume drunk and the pads consumed are all recorded.
Time frame: week 12
Change of urgency urinary incontinence episodes in average 24 hours from baseline based on 3-day voiding diary.
3-day voiding diary is a reliable objective method to quantify the incontinence episode frequency and are a sensitive measurement to monitor the treatment response. In voiding diary, voiding episodes, urgency episodes, incontinence episodes, the volume drunk and the pads consumed are all recorded.
Time frame: week 4, week 8, week 24, week 36
Change of urinary incontinence episodes in average 24 hours from baseline based on 3-day voiding diary.
3-day voiding diary is a reliable objective method to quantify the incontinence episode frequency and are a sensitive measurement to monitor the treatment response. In voiding diary, voiding episodes, urgency episodes, incontinence episodes, the volume drunk and the pads consumed are all recorded.
Time frame: week 4, week 8, week 12, week 24, week 36
Proportion of subjects with at least 50% reduce of urgency urinary incontinence episodes in average 24 hours compared with baseline based on 3-day voiding diary.
3-day voiding diary is a reliable objective method to quantify the incontinence episode frequency and are a sensitive measurement to monitor the treatment response. In voiding diary, voiding episodes, urgency episodes, incontinence episodes, the volume drunk and the pads consumed are all recorded.
Time frame: week 4, week 8, week 12, week 24, week 36
Proportion of subjects with complete resolution of urgency urinary incontinence episodes in average 24 hours based on 3-day voiding diary.
3-day voiding diary is a reliable objective method to quantify the incontinence episode frequency and are a sensitive measurement to monitor the treatment response. In voiding diary, voiding episodes, urgency episodes, incontinence episodes, the volume drunk and the pads consumed are all recorded.
Time frame: week 4, week 8, week 12, week 24, week 36
Proportion of subjects with at least 50% reduce of urinary incontinence episodes in average 24 hours compared with baseline based on 3-day voiding diary.
3-day voiding diary is a reliable objective method to quantify the incontinence episode frequency and are a sensitive measurement to monitor the treatment response. In voiding diary, voiding episodes, urgency episodes, incontinence episodes, the volume drunk and the pads consumed are all recorded.
Time frame: week 4, week 8, week 12, week 24, week 36
Change of voiding episodes in average 24 hours from baseline based on 3-day voiding diary.
3-day voiding diary is a reliable objective method to quantify the incontinence episode frequency and are a sensitive measurement to monitor the treatment response. In voiding diary, voiding episodes, urgency episodes, incontinence episodes, the volume drunk and the pads consumed are all recorded.
Time frame: week 4, week 8, week 12, week 24, week 36
Change of voiding episodes graded as 3/4 in average 24 hours from baseline based on the Patient Perception of Intensity of Urgency Scale( PPIUS).
Patient Perception of Intensity of Urgency Scale (PPIUS) is recommended by the European Medicines Agency to grade the urgency of voiding. Voiding graded at 1 and 2 levels of urgency are regarded as normal or strong desire to void rather than urgency, while 3 and 4 levels are regarded as urgency episodes.
Time frame: week 4, week 8, week 12, week 24, week 36
Change of nocturia episodes in average 24 hours from baseline based on 3-day voiding diary.
3-day voiding diary is a reliable objective method to quantify the incontinence episode frequency and are a sensitive measurement to monitor the treatment response. In voiding diary, voiding episodes, urgency episodes, incontinence episodes, the volume drunk and the pads consumed are all recorded.
Time frame: week 4, week 8, week 12, week 24, week 36
Change of pad consuming in average 24 hours from baseline based on 3-day voiding diary.
3-day voiding diary is a reliable objective method to quantify the incontinence episode frequency and are a sensitive measurement to monitor the treatment response. In voiding diary, voiding episodes, urgency episodes, incontinence episodes, the volume drunk and the pads consumed are all recorded.
Time frame: week 4, week 8, week 12, week 24, week 36
volume change of water intake in average 24 hours from baseline based on 3-day voiding diary.
3-day voiding diary is a reliable objective method to quantify the incontinence episode frequency and are a sensitive measurement to monitor the treatment response. In voiding diary, voiding episodes, urgency episodes, incontinence episodes, the volume drunk and the pads consumed are all recorded.
Time frame: week 4, week 8, week 12, week 24, week 36
Change of International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF ) score from baseline.
ICIQ-UI-SF was a questionnaire developed by the International Consultation on Incontinence to evaluate the severity of incontinence and impact to QoL in the past four weeks. It contains four items: frequency, amount of leakage, impact of UI on QoL and a separate item to indicate the cause of incontinence. The score was the sum of the first three items, providing a total score ranging from 0 to 21 with a higher score indicating worse symptoms and greater impact on QoL.
Time frame: week 4, week 8, week 12, week 24, week 36
Change of Overactive bladder questionnaire short form (OABq-SF) score from baseline.
OABq-SF is a validated questionnaire to assess the bother of OAB symptoms and effect on QoL in the past four weeks. It includes coping, sleep and emotional interaction. The scores were transformed to a 0- to 100-point scale, and higher scores on the symptom-severity scale indicate worse symptoms, whereas higher scores on the QoL scale indicate better quality of life.
Time frame: week 4, week 8, week 12, week 24, week 36
Proportion of subjects with adequate improvement assessed by Patient global impression improvement (PGI-I).
Patient global impression improvement (PGI-I) is a scale range from 1 to 7, with 1 indicating very much better and 7 indicating very much worse. Adequate improvement is defined as a rating of 1 or 2 by PGI-I.
Time frame: week 12, week 36
Change of residual urinary volume from baseline tested by abdominal B-ultrasound.
Abdominal B-ultrasound is objective way to test the residual urinary volume.
Time frame: week 12
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