Urodynamics and what they reveal about autonomic innervation of the lower urinary tract: A narrative review.
Urodynamics and what they reveal about autonomic innervation of the lower urinary tract: A narrative review.
Where did the research take place?
The study site has not been established. Author addresses may differ from where the research occurred.
London, GB · Author affiliation
Functional and Reconstructive Urology Department, University College London Hospitals, London, UK; Department of Uro-Neurology, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. Electronic address: h.yasmin@nhs.net.Location evidence
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Original abstract
Urodynamics remain the gold standard for objectively evaluating bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and offer indirect insight into the autonomic innervation of the lower urinary tract (LUT). Disruptions to the autonomic nervous system (ANS), particularly sympathetic and parasympathetic denervation, are frequently encountered in urological and neurological practice due to their common manifestation as LUTS. This narrative review synthesises current evidence on urodynamic features observed during bladder filling and voiding and their relationship to autonomic innervation in health and disease, drawing on established principles of LUT neural physiology. It contrasts normal urodynamic patterns with characteristic findings reported in neurological disorders associated with ANS disruption, such as multiple system atrophy, Parkinson's disease, diabetic and amyloid neuropathies, and spinal cord injury, to infer autonomic pathway integrity. These findings include changes in cystometric capacity, bladder compliance, filling sensations, and bladder neck appearance, the presence of detrusor overactivity or incontinence, and voiding phase abnormalities, including detrusor underactivity and bladder outflow obstruction. Together, these findings may provide insight into autonomic regulation across both health and disease. Urodynamics do not directly measure neural activity, and interpretation may be influenced by overlapping somatic effects, variable diagnostic thresholds, and non-neurogenic or co-existing pathology, but they remain an indispensable clinical tool for understanding LUT function and ANS involvement.