Recovery of Bladder and Sexual Function After Spinal Cord Injury

Summary

Bladder and sexual dysfunction consistently ranks as one of the top disorders affecting quality of life after spinal cord injury. The insights of how activity-based training affects bladder function may prove to be useful to other patient populations with bladder and sexual dysfunction such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, and stroke, as well as stimulate investigations of training's effects within other systems such as bowel dysfunction. Locomotor training could help promote functional recovery and any insights gained from these studies will enhance further investigation of the effect of bladder functioning after spinal cord injury. In addition, as suggested by a study of one of our initial participants, a reduction in the use and/or dosage of medication to enhance sexual function is a possible outcome, medications which carry risks and side effects.

Conditions

• Spinal Cord Injuries

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Activity-based locomotor training

The weight-bearing activity-based intervention will be provided via a standardized locomotor training program that is provided clinically at Frazier Rehab Institute within the NeuroRecovery Network (NRN); or similar interventions in a research protocol of stepping (IRB 07.0066).

PROCEDURE

Activity-based stand training

The weight-bearing activity-based intervention will be provided via a standardized locomotor training program that is provided clinically at Frazier Rehab Institute within the NeuroRecovery Network (NRN); or similar interventions in a research protocol of stand only program (07.0268). The stand only intervention may also be provided as part of this study.

PROCEDURE

Activity-based upper arm ergometry

The non-weight bearing activity-based upper arm ergometry intervention will be provided via a standardized arm crank therapy provided within this study.

PROCEDURE

Activity-based training + spinal epidural stimulation

combination effect of both locomotor training and/or stand training with epidural stimulation targeting locomotion and/or stand.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

  collaborator NIH

• University of Louisville

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Ralph Nitkin, PhD · National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2014-09-30

Primary Completion

2019-11-30

Completion

2019-11-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations