Non-invasive neuromodulation for bladder suppression following SCI
Research type
Research Study
Full title
NEUROMOD: Researching the effect of electrical stimulation on bladder overactivity following spinal cord injury in a home pilot study
IRAS ID
225760
Contact name
Sean Doherty
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 26 days
Research summary
Spinal cord injury disrupts signals between the brain and the rest of the body, this includes the signals needed to voluntarily control the bladder and bowels. Following this loss in control people often experience bladder overactivity and incontinence. Currently the main treatment for this is medication which can have side effects.
Neuromodulation (a type of electrical stimulation) is a treatment which can alter nerve activity including that affecting the bladder. We have seen that in a fixed environment it can suppress overactivity in the bladder. The purpose of this pilot study is to determine to what extent neuromodulation can reduce unwanted bladder contractions and incontinence when delivered using skin surface electrodes and a portable stimulator in people with spinal cord injury and bladder overactivity over a week in their home environment.
To do this, participants will first record a bladder diary on a provided device for one week. They will then visit our clinic to test the portable stimulation system whilst we measure their bladder's behaviour, this will be to ensure they can safely apply it by themselves and to record initial effectiveness. They will use the stimulation to manage overactivity at home for one week, then repeat the visit to our clinic to re-assess it's effect whilst recording bladder behaviour.
REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/1031
Date of REC Opinion
8 Aug 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion