Optimal Frequency Used in Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) for Treating Nocturnal Enuresis in Children

Detailed Summary

Children referred to pediatric urology clinic for primary nocturnal enuresis will be screened for enrollment. Patients who fail will next be offered therapy with a bedwetting alarm device or a TENS unit as an alternative, and those who chose TENS therapy will be included in the study.The patients will be randomized into three groups of 30 patients each. Group 1 will be the long frequency set at 2 Hz (hertz). Group 2 will be the moderate frequency set at 10 Hz. Group 3 will be the short frequency set 150 Hz. The patients will be provided with a TENS unit and electrode pads and caretakers instructed on how to use the apparatus. The child's TENS unit will be set at a frequency determined by randomization, pulse width of 260 seconds, and an intensity to be determined in the office based upon when the child feels sensitive to the TENS unit. The child will be randomized and will place the electrodes along the posterior tibial nerve on the medial ankle each night before bed time for 15 minutes for a total of 30 days. Diaries including nighttime incontinence episodes and a "wet sheet" scale (dry, damp, wet, soaked) will be recorded, along with any adverse reactions to the TENS unit. Patients will be followed up after one month of TENS with evaluation including the Pediatric Urinary Incontinence Questionnaire, a validated tool for measuring quality of life in children with bladder dysfunction; this questionnaire will be filled out prior to starting TENS treatment in order to compare the effect of treatment on QOL. The data will be collected at different time points (baseline and after 1 month of treatment) for each group by itself and the groups compared against each other using statistical analysis.

Study Details

Timeline

Interventions