Personalized brain stimulation for overactive bladder in multiple sclerosis
Official title: A randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial evaluating individualized neuromodulation of cortical regions involved in neurogenic overactive bladder in Multiple Sclerosis
Funded at Methodist Hospital Research Institute · NIH-11249154 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research uses targeted, noninvasive brain stimulation to try to reduce urinary urgency, frequency, and leakage in women with multiple sclerosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Methodist Hospital Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | January 24, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $338,159 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK134340-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249154 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adult women with multiple sclerosis who have neurogenic overactive bladder symptoms such as urinary urgency, frequency, or urgency incontinence are the intended candidates for this trial.
✕Less likely to help
People without MS, those whose bladder problems are due to other causes, or those who cannot undergo magnetic stimulation (for example, because of certain implants or seizure risk) are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
What this research studies
If you join, you would be randomly assigned to receive real or sham (placebo) targeted repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to specific brain areas linked to bladder control, with neither you nor the study staff knowing which you receive during the blinded phase. The team uses prior brain imaging to pick the best regions to stimulate and measures changes in urinary frequency, urgency, and incontinence as well as brain function. The trial is single-center and double-blind with an optional open-label extension where participants can receive active treatment. Early pilot results in a small group showed symptom improvement without treatment-related adverse effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce bladder urgency, frequency, and incontinence and offer a less invasive option with fewer drug-related side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Small pilot work, including the investigators' prior report in ten women, showed promising symptom improvement, but larger randomized trials are still limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Methodist Hospital Research Institute
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Khavari, Rose — Methodist Hospital Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Khavari, Rose
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.