title: Therapeutic effects of electrical stimulation on overactive bladder: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To systematically evaluate the therapeutic effect of electrical stimulation (ES) on overactive bladder (OB).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrieved information by searching databases from PubMed, CBM-disc, The Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect (from Elsevier publishers) and Springer publishers up to March 2016. We looked for randomized controlled trials that studied ES in OB treatment with subject headings and keywords using literature searches and manual retrieval. References of included studies were reviewed. Literature was screened independently by two investigators according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. After extracting data and evaluating their quality, meta-analysis was undertaken with RevMan v5.2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten randomized controlled trials involving 719 patients were included. Meta-analysis results demonstrated ES to have better effects for improving bladder compliance, reducing residual urine, and decreasing the frequency of enuresis in OB patients compared with the control group. ES elicited significantly better effects for diminishing the maximum detrusor pressure in children than in controls, but there was no significant difference in the maximum detrusor pressure between adults and controls. The therapeutic effect of ES combined with other therapies for increasing the maximum bladder capacity was better compared with other therapies alone. No significant difference was noted between ES alone and other therapies alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on current evidence, ES has certain effects on OBs. Severe adverse reactions are not observed. ES is safe, efficacious, and worthy of clinical use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601 China.
authors.forename: De Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601 China.
authors.forename: Xiao Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601 China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601 China.
authors.forename: Jian Xian
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Wu
keywords: Electrical stimulation; Meta-analysis; Overactive bladder; Randomized controlled trials