Quantitative Studies of Urinary Bladder Sensation

To determine whether more than one subpopulation exists of patients with the diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis (IC) based on sensory testing and to determine if subjects with IC have normal counterirritation-related modulatory systems. Previous studies by the PI suggest that two populations of subjects are present in the IC population but a larger number of subjects with IC would need to be tested in order to determine if this were indeed true. Other studies have demonstrated that counterirritation-related effects are absent in several chronic pain populations including fibromyalgia and chronic headaches. Identification of a subset of IC patients or the identification of a failure of counterirritation-related effects may predict responses to therapeutic interventions.