Effects of Action Observation Training (AOT) in the Achievement of Urinary Continence in Men After Robot-assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy (RALP)

In the researchers' words

Urinary incontinence (UI) is one of the most common side effects of radical prostatectomy (RP) and compromises men's quality of life. The first line treatment for urinary incontinence is the conservative approach of Pelvic Floor Muscle Training (PFMT) but, up to date, there seems to be no statistically significant difference in the effectiveness of several proposed physiotherapy treatments. Literature highlights the importance of also adding an educational component regarding the intentional contraction of the pelvic floor muscles (a skill termed "the Knack"). Moreover, in some studies, carried out on a sample of women, was introduced the use of virtual reality. This increased the adherence to treatment and showed an improvement in urinary continence. In addition to virtual reality, another intervention methodology used in physiotherapy is the one of Action Observation training (AOT) whose effectiveness has been proven both in sports and rehabilitation. However, currently the effect of this innovative type of treatment has not yet been studied in men with UI following radical prostatectomy intervention. The aim of this clinical study is to investigate the effectiveness of using AOT on urinary incontinence in subjects undergoing robotic radical prostatectomy.