Purpose

The goal of this study is to conduct a randomized pilot multi-arm clinical trial comparing a standard course of physical therapist provided pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) to pharmacologic therapy for the treatment of urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) or Overactive Bladder (OAB) in older women at high risk of falling. The central hypotheses for this project are i) a randomized pilot multi-arm clinical trial comparing PFMT to drug treatment for UUI or OAB in older women at high risk of falling is feasible; and ii) treatment approach can influence both UI and fall related outcomes in this patient population. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1) Is a multi-arm clinical trial comparing PFMT to drug treatment for UUI or OAB in older women at high risk of falling feasible? and 2) How does treatment approach influence both OAB and fall related outcomes in this patient population? Women (16 per arm) 60 years and older with UUI or OAB who screen positive for high fall risk will be randomized to one of three standard of care treatment arms and followed for six months. The three treatment arms are i) a 12-week structured behaviorally based pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) intervention administered by physical therapists in the clinic; ii) a 12-week course of the beta-3 agonist, Mirabegron; and iii) a 12-week course of the antimuscarinic, Trospium Chloride. Researchers will compare study feasibility and OAB symptom related outcomes across the three groups to see if a larger clinical trial is warranted.

Conditions

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 60 Years and 99 Years
Eligible Genders
Female
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  1. Women aged 60 year or older. 2. Ambulatory (able to walk across a small room with or without an assistive device). 3. Urgency UI, OAB, or Mixed UI (both urgency and stress UI) as identified by study physicians. 4. Answered "yes" to one of the items on the 3-Key Questions, questionnaire. 5. A score of 6 or greater on the International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire - Overactive Bladder (ICIQ-OAB) instrument or a physician recommended treatment. 6. Able to provide one's own informed consent. 7. Has tried basic lifestyle modifications for her bladder condition. 8. Has Medicare or private insurance

Exclusion Criteria

  1. Male (their causes of urinary incontinence are often different from women) 2. Unstable psychiatric conditions (e.g., psychosis, suicidal) based on history and medical records. 3. Nursing home resident 4. Genitourinary cancer undergoing active treatment with chemotherapy or radiation. 5. Neurologic conditions known to contribute to incontinence (Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Traumatic Brain Injury, Dementia, and Stroke Survivors with limited mobility) 6. New OAB treatments planned during the 6-month study duration - includes medications and/or surgery. 7. History of surgically implanted sacral nerve stimulator or botulinum toxin bladder injections for UI. 8. Taking other antimuscarinic drugs or Digoxin 9. Severe uncontrolled hypertension 10. Diagnosed Glaucoma 11. Myasthenia gravis 12. Chronic liver or kidney diseases

Study Design

Phase
Early Phase 1
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Intervention Model Description
This is a pilot, multi-arm, mixed methods, randomized clinical study.
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Masking Description
The outcome assessors will be blinded to ensure unbiased outcome findings.

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Pelvic Floor Muscle Training
A 12-week, 6 visit, outpatient program of physical therapist delivered behavioral and pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT)
  • Behavioral: Pelvic Floor Muscle Training
    A 12-week, 6 visit, outpatient program of physical therapist delivered behavioral and pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT)
Active Comparator
Mirabegron
Individually titrated Mirabegron, starting at 25 mg daily and increased to 50 mg daily at 6-weeks, during the 12-week intervention period.
  • Drug: Mirabegron
    Individually titrated Mirabegron, starting at 25 mg daily and increased to 50 mg daily at 6-weeks, during the 12-week intervention period.
    Other names:
    • Myrbetriq
Active Comparator
Trospium Chloride
A 12-week course of Trospium -extended release, 60mg once daily.
  • Drug: Trospium Chloride
    A 12-week course of Trospium XL -extended release, 60mg once daily.

Recruiting Locations

University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Galveston, Texas 77555
Contact:
Steve Fisher, PT, PhD
409-772-3068
stfisher@utmb.edu

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

Study Contact

Steve Fisher, PT, PhD
4097723068
stfisher@utmb.edu

Detailed Description

Untreated, urinary urgency and incontinence can precipitate a vicious cycle of decreasing physical activity, social isolation, fear-of-falling, and falls. The urge to urinate frequently can also limit physical activity - concern for finding oneself too far from a bathroom can be a powerful motivator for just staying home. Structured behavioral interventions or medications are common initial treatment options. But they elicit their effects through very different mechanisms of action that may influence fall related outcomes differently. There is, however, a critical lack of direct head-to-head trial evidence on non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic treatments for urgency urinary incontinence (UUI), particularly in women with co-existing fall risk. The proposed feasibility pilot study is a randomized, multi-arm, mixed methods, clinical trial comparing three currently in use initial treatment options for older women: i) a 12-week structured behaviorally based pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) intervention administered by physical therapists in the clinic; ii) a 12-week course of the beta-3 agonist, Mirabegron; and iii) a 12-week course of the antimuscarinic, Trospium Chloride, in women 60 and older with UUI or overactive bladder (OAB) who also screen positive for increased risk of falling. Mirabegron and Trospium are not associated with longitudinal effects on cognition that the traditionally used anticholinergic mediations have recently been linked to. The Specific Aims are 1) Conduct a pilot study in clinical settings to determine the feasibility of enrolling older women with UUI or OAB who are at high risk of falling in a three-arm (PFMT, vs. mirabegron vs. Trospium), randomized comparative effectiveness trial; 2) Characterize outcomes across the three interventions; and 3) Qualitatively explore perceived factors influencing the non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic treatment experience in these patients. Forty-eight ambulatory women (16 per arm) 60 years and older with UUI or OAB and who screen positive for high fall risk will be randomized (1:1:1) to one of three arms. Feasibility will be determined through key milestones on evaluability, adherence to the interventions, attrition, adverse events, productive recruitment methods, and sample characteristics. The Investigators will also measure important indicators of symptom severity, quality of life, physical activity, falls, and fear of falling. Building upon our preliminary work, fall risk will be determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries (STEADI) fall risk screening tool. The proposed study is the first to compare these common non-surgical treatments for UUI and OAB in a high fall risk patient population and will lay the groundwork for a program of research investigating the bidirectional relationships that exist across these two common geriatric syndromes both at the level of shared risk factors and response to treatment.

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.