About MAPP Network

In 2008 the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network. This study represented a novel, highly collaborative and multidisciplinary research effort designed to better understand the underlying pathophysiology and patient “phenotypes” (i.e., observable biological and clinical characteristics) for the two most prominent chronic urologic pain conditions, Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS) in women and men and Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CP/CPPS) in men.

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Featured Publications

Barker ES, Chiu K, Brown VL, Morsy H, Yaeger LH, Catna A, Pakpahan R, Moldwin R, Shorter B, Lowder JL, Lai HH, Sutcliffe S. Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome Flares: A Comprehensive, Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Peer-Reviewed Flare Literature. J Urol. 2024 Mar;211(3):341-353. doi: 10.1097/JU.0000000000003820. Epub 2023 Dec 18. [PMID: 38109700 Review] [PMC11037930]
Keywords: bladder pain syndrome; chronic pelvic pain syndrome; chronic prostatitis; interstitial cystitis; symptom exacerbation.

Brown VL, James A, Hunleth J, Bradley CS, Farrar JT, Gupta P, Lai HH, Lowder JL, Moldwin R, Rodriguez LV, Yang CC, Sutcliffe S. Believing Women: A Qualitative Exploration of Provider Disbelief and Pain Dismissal among Women with Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome from the MAPP Research Network. Int Urogynecol J. 2024 Jan;35(1):139-148. doi: 10.1007/s00192-023-05677-0. Epub 2023 Nov 22. [PMID: 37991567] [PMC11019919]
Keywords: Chronic pain; Delayed diagnosis; Interstitial cystitis; Patient–provider encounter; Qualitative; Women.

Clemens JQ, Locke K Jr, Landis JR, Kreder K, Rodriguez LV, Yang CC, Tu FF, Harte SE, Schrepf A, Farrar JT, Sutcliffe S, Naliboff BD, Williams DA, Afari N, Spitznagle T, Taple BJ, Lai HH; Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) Research Network. Validation of a simple body map to measure widespread pain in urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome: A MAPP research network study. Neurourol Urodyn. 2024 Mar;43(3):727-737. doi: 10.1002/nau.25400. Epub 2024 Jan 25. [PMID: 38270336] [PMC10981467]
Keywords: chronic prostatitis with chronic pelvic pain syndrome;  interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome; pelvic pain; prostate; urinary bladder.

Erickson BA, Griffith JW, Wensheng G, Mengying Y, Herman T, Bradley CS, Quentin Clemens J, Farrar JT, Gupta P, Kreder KJ, Henry Lai H, Naliboff BD, Newman DK, Rodriguez LV, Spitznagle T, Sutcliffe S, Sutherland SE, Taple BJ, Richard Landis J.  Ecological Momentary Assessment of Pelvic Pain and Urinary Urgency Variability in Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome and Their Association with Illness Impact and Quality of Life: Findings from the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain Symptom Patterns Study. Neurourol Urodyn. 2024 Apr;43(4):893-901. doi: 10.1002/nau.25363. Epub 2024 Jan 22. [PMID: 38247366] [PMC11031348]
Keywords: ecological momentary assessment; illness impact; phone application; quality of life; urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome; variability.

Schrepf AD, Mawla I, Naliboff BD, Gallop B, Moldwin RM, Tu F, Gupta P, Harte S, Krieger JN, Yang C, Bradley C, Rodriguez L, Williams D, Magnotta V, Ichesco E, Harris RE, Clemens Q, Mullins C, Kutch JJ. Neurobiology and long-term impact of bladder-filling pain in humans: a Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) research network study. Pain. 2023 Oct 1;164(10):2343-2351. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002944. Epub 2023 Jun 6. PMID: 37278657 [PMID: 37278657] [PMC10524087]
Keywords: Chronic pain, Bladder, Urology, Resting-state, fMRI, Flare-up, Healthcare utilization.