Neurogenic Bladder and Quality of Life in Patients With Stroke

The Effects of Stroke Related Neurogenic Bladder on The Quality of Life: A Study of Turkish Population

This study investigated effects of the neurogenic bladder on the quality of life in stroke survivors. Patients were divided into two groups: the First group consisted of patients with neurogenic bladder and the Second group consisted of patients without neurogenic bladder.

Neurogenic bladder after stroke is a commonly encountered medical condition which slows down the recovery process and exacerbates the functional status of the patient. The neurogenic bladder may possibly affect the quality of life of patients with stroke.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the quality of life and the neurogenic bladder in Turkish stroke survivors.

Methods: 71 patients with stroke were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups: the First group consisted of patients with neurogenic bladder and the Second group consisted of patients without neurogenic bladder. Short Form-36 (SF-36), Barthel Index (BI), Functional Ambulation Category (FAC), Mini-Mental Test (MMT) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaires were applied to both groups for clinical evaluations.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke
• No previous stroke history
• Disease duration > 6 months

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with different stroke etiologies other than cerebrovascular events (such as traumatic and tumoral pathologies)
• Previous multiple stroke history
• Pre-stroke urinary complaints
• Previous urogenital surgery history
• Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
• Prostate volume of > 35ml documented with urinary ultrasonography
• Bladder outlet obstruction
• Poorly controlled Diabetes Mellitus (DM)
• Concomitant neurological diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's Disease
• Anticholinergic, alpha agonist-antagonist drug use
• Sensory and global aphasia
• Severe communication impairment