Relationship of Sex and Diagnosis With Symptoms and Illness Impact in Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain; A Mapp Network Analysis.

Objective: To assess differences in clinical presentation and illness impact in men and women presenting with urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS) and between men diagnosed with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) or chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).

Methods: 356 men and 605 women from six sites across the United States were assessed using a comprehensive set of demographic, symptom, and illness impact measures. Multivariable regression analyses examined differences between men and women and between men previously diagnosed with CP/CPPS or IC/BPS.

Widespread pain phenotypes impact treatment efficacy results in randomized clinical trials for interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: a Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain network study.

Pain clinical trials are notoriously complex and often inefficient in demonstrating efficacy, even for known efficacious treatments. A major issue is the difficulty in the a priori identification of specific phenotypes to include in the study population. Recent work has identified the extent of widespread pain as an important determinant of the likelihood of response to therapy, but it has not been tested in clinical trials for the treatment of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS).

Neurobiology and long-term impact of bladder-filling pain in humans: a Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) research network study.

Pain with bladder filling remains an unexplained clinical presentation with limited treatment options. Here, we aim to establish the clinical significance of bladder filling pain using a standardized test and the associated neural signature. We studied individuals diagnosed with urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS) recruited as part of the multidisciplinary approach to the study of chronic pelvic pain (MAPP) study.

Widespread Pain Phenotypes Impact Treatment Efficacy Results in Randomized Clinical Trials for Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome: A MAPP Network Study.

Clinical trials of pain are notoriously difficult and inefficient in demonstrating efficacy even for known efficacious treatments. Determining the appropriate pain phenotype to study can be problematic. Recent work has identified the extend of widespread pain as an important factor in the likelihood of response to therapy, but has not been tested in clinical trials.

Reliability and Validity of Pain and Urinary Symptom Severity Assessment in Urological Chronic Pelvic Pain: A MAPP Network Analysis.

Purpose: We assessed the reliability and validity of an efficient severity assessment for pelvic pain and urinary symptoms in urological chronic pelvic pain syndrome, which consists of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Materials And Methods: A total of 578 patients were assessed using brief, empirically derived self-report scales for pelvic pain severity (PPS) and urinary symptom severity (USS) 4 times during a 1-month period and baseline clinic visit that included urological, pain and illness-impact measures. Mild, moderate and severe categories on each dimension were examined for measurement stability and construct validity.

The Multidisciplinary Approach to The Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network*: Design and implementation of the Symptom Patterns Study (SPS).

Aims: The Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network initiated a second observational cohort study-the Symptom Patterns Study (SPS)-to further investigate the underlying pathophysiology of Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (UCPPS) and to discover factors associated with longitudinal symptom changes and responses to treatments.

Methods: This multisite cohort study of males and females with UCPPS features a run-in period of four weekly web-based symptom assessments before a baseline visit, followed by quarterly assessments up to 36 months. Controls were also recruited and assessed at baseline and 6 months.

Urinary fungi associated with urinary symptom severity among women with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS).

Purpose: To correlate the presence of fungi with symptom flares, pain and urinary severity in a prospective, longitudinal study of women with IC/BPS enrolled in the MAPP Research Network.

Methods: Flare status, pelvic pain, urinary severity, and midstream urine were collected at baseline, 6 and 12 months from female IC/BPS participants with at least one flare and age-matched participants with no reported flares. Multilocus PCR coupled with electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry was used for identification of fungal species and genus.

A Culture-Independent Analysis of the Microbiota of Female Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome Participants in the MAPP Research Network.

We surveyed urine microbiota of females diagnosed with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) and matched control participants enrolled in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network using the culture-independent methodology. Midstream urine specimens were analyzed with the Plex-ID molecular diagnostic platform that utilizes polymerase chain reaction⁻electrospray ionization⁻time-of-flight⁻mass spectrometry (PCR-ESI-TOF MS) to provide a comprehensive identification of bacterial and select fungal species. IC/BPS and control participants were evaluated for differences (presence, diversity, and abundance) in species and genus.

Urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome: insights from the MAPP Research Network.

Urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS), which encompasses interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, is characterized by chronic pain in the pelvic region or genitalia that is often accompanied by urinary frequency and urgency. Despite considerable research, no definite aetiological risk factors or effective treatments have been identified. The Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network uses a novel integrated strategy to characterize UCPPS as a systemic disorder that potentially involves multiple aetiologies.

Brain signature and functional impact of centralized pain: a multidisciplinary approach to the study of chronic pelvic pain (MAPP) network study.

Chronic pain is often measured with a severity score that overlooks its spatial distribution across the body. This widespread pain is believed to be a marker of centralization, a central nervous system process that decouples pain perception from nociceptive input. Here, we investigated whether centralization is manifested at the level of the brain using data from 1079 participants in the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain Research Network (MAPP) study.

Resting-state functional connectivity predicts longitudinal pain symptom change in urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome: a MAPP network study.

Chronic pain symptoms often change over time, even in individuals who have had symptoms for years. Studying biological factors that predict trends in symptom change in chronic pain may uncover novel pathophysiological mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. In this study, we investigated whether brain functional connectivity measures obtained from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging at baseline can predict longitudinal symptom change (3, 6, and 12 months after scan) in urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Identification of novel non-invasive biomarkers of urinary chronic pelvic pain syndrome: findings from the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network.

Objective: To examine a series of candidate markers for urological chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS), selected based on their proposed involvement in underlying biological processes so as to provide new insights into pathophysiology and suggest targets for expanded clinical and mechanistic studies.

Methods: Baseline urine samples from Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network study participants with UCPPS (n = 259), positive controls (PCs; chronic pain without pelvic pain, n = 107) and healthy controls (HCs, n = 125) were analysed for the presence of proteins that are suggested in the literature to be associated with UCPPS. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, MMP-9/neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) complex (also known as Lipocalin 2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF receptor 1 (VEGF-R1) and NGAL were assayed and quantitated using mono-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for each protein.

Advancing a Comprehensive Approach to the Study of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms.

Purpose: Lower urinary tract symptoms are common in the United States population, leading to significant economic, quality of life and public health issues. The burden will increase as the population ages, and risk factors for lower urinary tract symptoms, including diabetes and obesity, remain highly prevalent. Improving clinical management and establishing the knowledge base to prevent lower urinary tract symptoms will require a comprehensive research approach that examines factors beyond the lower urinary tract.

Multisite, multimodal neuroimaging of chronic urological pelvic pain: Methodology of the MAPP Research Network.

The Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network is an ongoing multi-center collaborative research group established to conduct integrated studies in participants with urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS). The goal of these investigations is to provide new insights into the etiology, natural history, clinical, demographic and behavioral characteristics, search for new and evaluate candidate biomarkers, systematically test for contributions of infectious agents to symptoms, and conduct animal studies to understand underlying mechanisms for UCPPS. Study participants were enrolled in a one-year observational study and evaluated through a multisite, collaborative neuroimaging study to evaluate the association between UCPPS and brain structure and function.

Urinary Metabolomics Identifies a Molecular Correlate of Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome in a Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network Cohort.

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a poorly understood syndrome affecting up to 6.5% of adult women in the U.S.

Novel research approaches for interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: thinking beyond the bladder.

Despite years of basic and clinical research focused on interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), including clinical trials of candidate therapies, there remains an insufficient understanding of underlying cause(s), important clinical features and a lack of effective treatments for this syndrome. Progress has been limited and is likely due to many factors, including a primary focus on the bladder and lower urinary tract as origin of symptoms without adequately considering the potential influence of other local (pelvic) or systemic factors. Traditionally, there has been a lack of sufficiently diverse expertise and application of novel, integrated methods to study this syndrome.

Pain and Urinary Symptoms Should Not be Combined into a Single Score: Psychometric Findings from the MAPP Research Network.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to create symptom indexes, that is scores derived from questionnaires to accurately and efficiently measure symptoms of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, collectively referred to as urological chronic pelvic pain syndromes. We created these indexes empirically by investigating the structure of symptoms using exploratory factor analysis.

Materials And Methods: As part of the MAPP (Multi-Disciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain) Research Network 424 participants completed questionnaires, including GUPI (Genitourinary Pain Index), ICSI (Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index) and ICPI (Interstitial Cystitis Problem Index).

Unique Microstructural Changes in the Brain Associated with Urological Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (UCPPS) Revealed by Diffusion Tensor MRI, Super-Resolution Track Density Imaging, and Statistical Parameter Mapping: A MAPP Network Neuroimaging Study.

Studies have suggested chronic pain syndromes are associated with neural reorganization in specific regions associated with perception, processing, and integration of pain. Urological chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS) represents a collection of pain syndromes characterized by pelvic pain, namely Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CP/CPPS) and Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome (IC/PBS), that are both poorly understood in their pathophysiology, and treated ineffectively. We hypothesized patients with UCPPS may have microstructural differences in the brain compared with healthy control subjects (HCs), as well as patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common gastrointestinal pain disorder.

Assessment of the Lower Urinary Tract Microbiota during Symptom Flare in Women with Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome: A MAPP Network Study.

Purpose: We compared culture independent assessment of microbiota of the lower urinary tract in standard culture negative female patients with urological chronic pelvic pain syndrome who reported symptom flare vs those who did not report a flare.

Materials And Methods: Initial stream (VB1) and midstream (VB2) urine specimens (233 patients with urological chronic pelvic pain syndrome) were analyzed with Ibis T-5000 Universal Biosensor system technology for comprehensive identification of microorganism species. Differences between flare and nonflare groups for presence or number of different species within a higher level group (richness) were examined by permutational multivariate analysis of variance and logistic regression.

Altered resting state neuromotor connectivity in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: A MAPP: Research Network Neuroimaging Study.

Brain network activity associated with altered motor control in individuals with chronic pain is not well understood. Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a debilitating condition in which previous studies have revealed altered resting pelvic floor muscle activity in men with CP/CPPS compared to healthy controls. We hypothesized that the brain networks controlling pelvic floor muscles would also show altered resting state function in men with CP/CPPS.

Animal Models of Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes: Findings From the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain Research Network.

Objective: To describe the approach taken by the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain Research Network investigators to advance the utility of urologic chronic pelvic pain syndromes (UCPPS) animal models.

Methods: A multidisciplinary team of investigators representing basic science and clinical expertise defined key phenotypic criteria for rodent models of UCPPS. UCPPS symptoms were prioritized based on their clinical significance.

Urological chronic pelvic pain syndrome flares and their impact: qualitative analysis in the MAPP network.

Introduction And Hypothesis: Although in-depth qualitative information is critical to understanding patients' symptom experiences and to developing patient-centered outcome measures, only one previous qualitative study has assessed urological chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS) symptom exacerbations ("flares").

Methods: We conducted eight focus groups of female UCPPS (interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome) patients at four sites from the MAPP Research Network (n = 57, mean = 7/group) to explore the full spectrum of flares and their impact on patients' lives.

Results: Flare experiences were common and varied widely in terms of UCPPS symptoms involved, concurrent nonpelvic symptoms (e.