Psychometric assessment of female overactive bladder syndrome and antimuscarinics-related effects

•OAB women have more psychological distress, neuroticism, and introversion than non-OAB women.•Antimuscarinics could improve anxiety.•Antimuscarinics could improve global psychological distress.

ObjectivesTo investigate the characteristics of psychological distress (PD), personality traits, and family support in women with overactive bladder syndrome (OAB), and the effects of antimuscarinic treatment.Study designWomen with and without OAB (age- and body mass index [BMI]-matched control group) were prospectively enrolled; they recorded bladder diaries, underwent urodynamic studies, and completed PD, personality traits, and filled family support questionnaires before and after antimuscarinic treatment. OAB women underwent treatment with tolterodine or solifenacin for 12 weeks. The control group completed questionnaires.Main outcome measuresThe differences in PD, personality traits, and family support scores between both groups, and the changes after antimuscarinic treatment in OAB women.ResultsEighty-five women with OAB (tolterodine, n = 42; solifenacin, n = 43) and 65 without OAB completed the studies. Linear regression analysis with age and BMI adjustment revealed: coefficients of OAB were significant (all P < 0.05) for somatic complaints (mean: 0.87 vs. 0.63, coefficient = 0.21), obsessive–compulsive symptoms (0.69 vs. 0.44, coefficient = 0.25), anxiety symptoms (0.42 vs. 0.27, coefficient = 0.14), General Symptom Index (GSI, 0.48 vs. 0.33, coefficient = 0.14), neuroticism (9.23 vs. 5.17, coefficient = 3.73), and extroversion–introversion (13.64 vs. 15.25, coefficient = −1.73). Anxiety symptoms (0.42 vs. 0.36) and GSI (0.48 vs. 0.39) improved after antimuscarinics (all P < 0.05). High Overactive Bladder Symptom Score questionnaire score (coefficient = −0.39), low hostility score (coefficient = 2.11), and high additional symptoms score (coefficient = −1.46) were associated with good therapeutic effect (all P < 0.05).ConclusionsOAB women experience more PD, neuroticism, and introversion than asymptomatic women, and antimuscarinics could improve PD.