The optimal number of sessions for biofeedback therapy in children: A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE

Biofeedback electromyography (EMG) involves the transmission of pelvic and abdominal muscle activity to the patient via visual and sometimes auditory feedback, with the ultimate goal of learning to contract and relax the pelvic muscles at the appropriate times through real-time analysis and feedback. To determine the optimal number of biofeedback therapy sessions required for a therapeutic response in the treatment functional voiding dysfunction.

METHODS

The retrospective data of 779 patients who underwent biofeedback therapy at a tertiary pediatric hospital between 2017 and 2023 were analyzed. The study included patients referred for urinary symptoms and uroflow/EMG findings who did not respond to standard urotherapy and behavioral therapy and completed at least 8 biofeedback sessions. During treatment, methods such as EMG biofeedback, pelvic muscle training, and keeping symptom diaries were utilized. Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-Square test.

RESULTS

Of the patients, 62.4% were female, 37.6% were male, and the mean age was 9.05±3.05 years. The most common urinary symptoms were daytime urinary incontinence (59.4%) and nocturnal enuresis (54%). The average number of sessions required for a therapeutic response was 6±1.3. Female patients showed an earlier response to treatment compared to males (p<0.01). Younger patients demonstrated faster recovery and better response to therapy (p<0.05). Patients who did not respond to therapy had a higher mean age and required more sessions (p<0.05). The higher mean number of sessions in non-responders compared to responders was found to be statistically significant (p=0.001; p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Biofeedback is an effective and non-invasive treatment method for children with functional voiding dysfunction. Most patients show symptomatic improvement within 1.5-2 months (2-8 sessions - average 6). Male patients may require longer treatment durations, while younger children respond better to therapy. Future studies focusing on factors influencing biofeedback success may contribute to optimizing this treatment.