To examine generalized sensory sensitivity (GSS) in patients with urinary urgency.
Adult men and women who presented with urinary urgency, with or without urgency incontinence, and seeking treatment for their overactive bladder (OAB) were enrolled in the Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN) II Study. Controls without urgency or incontinence was enrolled. The GSS-Short Form (GSS-SF) questionnaire was used to assess self-reported sensitivity to external environmental stimuli (chemicals, bright lights, sounds), sensitivity to internal bodily sensations (dry mouth, rapid heart rate, balance), and the anatomical extent of body pain.
617 cases with urinary urgency and 125 controls were included. Cases had higher total GSS-SF scores (median 2 vs. 0, p<0.001) compared to controls. For each of the three external stimuli and three internal sensations, cases were more likely than controls to report heightened sensitivity to environment stimuli and internal bodily sensations. There were significant positive correlations between GSS-SF total scores and OAB-q symptom severity (ρ=0.23, p<0.001), LURN SI-29 urgency subscales (ρ=0.19, p<0.001), and LURN SI-29 incontinence subscales (ρ=0.21, p<0.001). GSS-SF was negative correlated to OAB-q Health-Related Quality of Life (ρ=-0.24, p<0.001).
Patients with urinary urgency had higher GSS compared to controls without urgency. Cases with higher GSS scores had more severe OAB symptoms and worse HRQL. These findings suggest a subset of urinary urgency patients may exhibit global, multisystem hypersensitivity to sensory input. In these individuals, bladder symptoms may represent a manifestation of broader sensory dysregulation rather than an isolated organ-specific pathology.
The Journal of urology. 2026 Apr 10 [Epub ahead of print]
H Henry Lai, Alan J Fossa, Brian Bieber, Cindy L Amundsen, J Eric Jelovsek, Anne P Cameron, Catherine Bradley, Karl Kreder, Claire C Yang, Alexander Glaser, Kimberly Kenton, J Quentin Clemens, Victor P Andreev, Ziya Kirkali, Steven E Harte
Department of Urology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA., Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI., Arbo Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI., Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University, NC., Division of Urogynecology & Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University, Durham, NC., Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA., Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA., Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Endeavor Health, Evanston, IL Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL., Section of Urogynecology & Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Chicago., National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD., Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI.