# Epidemiological analysis of two interstitial cystitis cohorts

> **NIH ALLCDC U01** · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · 2021 · $829,242

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a multifactorial, chronic syndrome involving urinary
frequency, urinary urgency, and bladder discomfort (1) that affects an estimated 10 million patients in the
United States(2). Although understandings of IC/BPS pathophysiology remain limited, published studies
have found several comorbidities, including vulvodynia and anxiety comorbidities prevalent in IC/BPS (4, 5).
Research suggests that these comorbidities, in turn, exacerbate IC/BPS symptoms and are associated
with poor functioning, adjustment, prognosis, and treatment response rates.
The research within this proposal builds upon our previous analyses and those of the Multidisciplinary
Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network. Our cohort of 400 IC/BPS
patients at Boston Children's Hospital has been followed for 15 years and provides an extraordinary
opportunity for an epidemiological study of the various conditions co-occurring with IC/BPS.
We will also comprehensively phenotype a large online cohort of patients with IC/BPS through surveys
and systematic analysis of patient social media posts via “social listening”, which could be
methodologically advantageous in identifying environmental factors when triangulated with patient
surveys influencing IC/BPS comorbidities.
The hypothesis underlying this proposal is that extensive phenotyping will elucidate the depth and breadth
of co-occurring disorders in IC/BPS and uncover factors that play a role in the development of the
disorders. Based on this hypothesis, our aims are to: 1) identify the prevalence of conditions in
demographically distinct cohorts (e.g, anxiety, depression, vulvodynia) and potential environmental
influencers (e.g., family discord, poverty, pollution); 2) comprehensively and rigorously phenotype a subset
of these patients with the use of PROMIS and PhenX toolkit surveys for comorbid conditions; and 3)
characterize the impact of health disparities on IC/BPS, with particular attention paid to health disparities
affecting African Americans with IC/BPS. As this project leverages existing cohorts and conducts
phenotyping via telemedicine, it is a cost-effective approach to better characterizing phenotypes and
elucidating the architecture and epidemiology of dimensional phenotypes in IC/BPS.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10330743
- **Project number:** 1U01DP006634-01
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Catherine Astrid Brownstein
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $829,242
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-01 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10330743

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10330743, Epidemiological analysis of two interstitial cystitis cohorts (1U01DP006634-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10330743. Licensed CC0.

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