ArticleBMC neurology2026
Bladder, bowel, and sexual dysfunction are overlooked in the management of neurological conditions: a qualitative interview study.
Article in BMC neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOne in six people in the UK live with a neurological condition, of which many experience bladder, bowel and sexual dysfunction that are present during the time of neurological diagnosis. However, it not clear whether their bladder, bowel or sexual symptoms are considered when formulating a neurological diagnosis. This study aimed to explore the patients experiences of being diagnosed with and managing neurological conditions and the considerations of their bladder, bowel and sexual symptoms.
methodsSemi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with patients with a diverse range of neurological conditions. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. A patient and public involvement group supported the pilot testing of the topic guide and the data analysis.
resultsTwenty participants (12 female, 1 non-binary and 7 male) aged between 30 and 83 and 13/20 people from the global majority participated in the study. Four themes and ten subthemes were identified: (1) Challenges within healthcare - dismissive encounters with healthcare professionals and systemic pressures directly impacting care. (2) Understanding and Advocacy - insufficient communication, education and expectation management across contexts, "I am the ruler of my own self"- self advocacy is essential and peer support. (3) Emotional and Psychological Impact - Grief - "you go through the grieving cycle; you've lost a bit of yourself" and difficulty describing sensations. (4) Sex Matters - Gender differences and sex remains a low priority within healthcare.
conclusionsThe findings demonstrate that during diagnosis of neurological conditions bladder bowel and sexual symptoms are overlooked in building the clinical picture, and the needs of managing these emotionally challenging and difficult symptoms are not being effectively met by the healthcare system at present.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.