From October, 2019 to January, 2021, 13 patients with OAB aged (46.9 ±13.4) years were enrolled. Under urodynamic monitoring, rs-fMRI scans were performed in these subjects under empty bladder and strong desire to void. Matlab 2016, SPM 12 and DPABI software were used to process and analyze these obtained image data, six brain regions related to bladder control: right superior frontal gyrus (X = 3, Y=24, Z = 48), right anterior cingulate gyrus (X = 12, Y = 33, Z = 3), left postcentral gyrus (X = -18, Y = -26, Z = 48), right supplementary motor area (X = 3, Y = -12, Z = 63), left insular (X = -42, Y = -12, Z = -3) and right insular (X = 3, Y = -12, Z = 63),were extracted as the regions of interest to analyze the functional connection with the whole brain.

The functional connection of the right superior frontal gyrus with the right middle frontal gyrus increased, while the connection with the right cuneus decreased. The connection of the right anterior cingulate gyrus with the right superior temporal gyrus increased, while the connection with the left posterior cingulate gyrus decreased. The connection of the left postcentral gyrus with the right cuneus decreased. The functional connection of the right supplementary motor area with the left cuneus, the connection of the right insular with the medial superior frontal gyrus, and the connection of the left insular with the inferior parietal lobule increased.

The functional connections between the brain areas related to continence and other brain regions involved in bladder control changes in patients with OAB. These changes may be one of the potential pathogenic mechanisms of OAB.