Optimal Pulse Width Used in Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Treating Nocturnal Enuresis in Children

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Nocturnal Enuresis, Bedwetting

In brief

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 two groups of 35 patients each.Group 1 will be the high pulse width set at 260us. Group 2 will be the low pulse width set at 50us. 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 pulse width determined by randomization, frequency of 10Hz, 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 30 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 Bowel \& Bladder Questionnaire (BBQ), a validated tool for measuring symptoms in children with voiding dysfunction \[6\]; this questionnaire will be filled out prior to starting TENS treatment in order to compare the effect of treatment. 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.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06135311

Run by

Albany Medical College

People needed

70

Starts

2023-10-24

Expected to finish

2026-12-31

Last updated by the study team

2025-10-02

Who can join

Age: 5 and older, up to 17. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Presenting with nocturnal enuresis (more than 1x a week)
• Failed Behavioral modification treatment (limiting evening drinking, double voiding prior to bedtime, bowel habits, social anxiety factors) during the 30 day period prior to randomization
• Ability to provide informed consent and assent and complete study requirements

You may not qualify if…

• Patients who have previously tried pharmacologic treatment for nocturnal enuresis, neuromodulation or other alternative therapy for urologic disorders within the past 30 days
• Daytime incontinence symptoms
• Known "high volume" voiders (determined from history)
• Bedwetting episodes on the average of less than two times per week,
• Medications predisposing to incontinence (eg, Lithium for bipolar disorder)
• Other known voiding or neurologic disorders (eg, overactive bladder, myelomeningocele, interstitial cystitis, etc)
• Secondary etiologies for nocturnal enuresis (eg, cystitis, obstructive sleep apnea, urinary fistulae, heart disease)
• Any contraindications to usage of a TENS unit (pacemaker or other implantable device, lymphedema, pregnancy, malignancy, bleeding or clotting disorders, unhealthy tissue, seizure disorders, impaired cognition)
• Any history of heart disease or complications

Where it is running

• Albany Medical College — Albany, New York, United States (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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