Clarkson Lab

Research focus

NIH R01 · 2025

Investigation of brain mechanisms involved in the Urinary Continence mechanism associated with aging

PROJECT SUMMARY Prevalent, morbid, and costly ($66 billion/year in 2007), incontinence is a major problem, especially for older adults, in whom the most common type is urgency incontinence (UUI). Generally ascribed to bladder spasms, UUI's actual causes are unknown, and therapy remains inadequate. Recent data suggest that one cause is poor bladder control by the brain. In our recent R01 we used biofeedback (BFB) as a probe to explore this. The exciting findings suggest that one `phenotype' of UUI in older adults seems to be caused by a breakdown in brain control, which can be restored by successful behavioral therapy, while another is refractory. Our proposed new study will explore this…

From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.