Menstrual cycle hormones and bladder leaks in women with spinal cord injury

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for women with a long-term bladder problem caused by a spinal cord injury, who still have regular periods. It studies whether urine leaking changes during the menstrual cycle.

Age

18 years and older

Sex

Women only

Disease stage

Long-term (chronic) nerve-related bladder problem due to a spinal cord injury acquired during life. Regular menstrual cycle of 26-30 days. One group leaks urine at least once per month; the other group leaks less often or not at all.

Earlier treatment

People taking hormones or hormonal contraception, androgens, or drugs that strongly affect female sex hormones cannot join. People who have had bladder reconstruction surgery, removal of the ovaries, or sex reassignment surgery cannot join.

Main reasons for not taking part

• Overactive bladder muscle during filling above 15cmH20
• Rare or absent periods, endometriosis or gynaecological cancer
• Pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to get pregnant
• Current pelvic floor physiotherapy
• Bladder irritation such as bladder tumour, bladder stones or acute urinary tract infection at study start

The registry criteria, word for word

What the trial wants to find out

There is a knowledge gap about the influence of the menstrual cycle on bladder function in women with spinal cord injury. So far, studies regarding urinary incontinence have primarily focused on women after menopause. It has become clear that a lack of the sex hormone estrogen, which occurs after menopause, can lead to urinary incontinence. During the course of the menstrual cycle, women also experience fluctuations in their sex hormones, particularly estrogen. The estrogen level is highest before ovulation and decreases afterwards. The investigators aim to explore whether this drop in hormone levels could lead to more frequent urinary incontinence during this phase. In order to offer the patients optimal treatment for urinary incontinence, it is important to understand the potential causes behind it. Participants will document their menstrual cycles and episodes of urinary incontinences over three menstrual cycles using a diary, and urine tests. This research project is a pilot study and is being conducted by Swiss Paraplegic Research at the Swiss Paraplegic Centre. The investigators are recruiting 12 participants who experience incontinence at least once a month and 12 participants who experience incontinence less frequently or not at all.

The 2 groups in the trial

• Premenopausal women with spinal cord injury and urinary incontinence
• Premenopausal women with spinal cord injury without urinary incontinence