Abdominal Electrical Stimulation for Bowel Dysfunction in SCI

Enrolling by invitation · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Chronic Spinal Cord Injury

In brief

Many people with spinal cord injury (SCI) have bowel problems resulting in constipation and need a long time to empty the bowel. Some people spend an hour or more to empty their bowel. The investigators want test if using a small device to deliver electrical pulses to the belly (abdomen), would improve bowel function. The investigators hope that electrical stimulation will shorten the time needed to evacuate the bowel (defecation), improve stool consistency, and speed up food passing through the bowel. A pilot study found that electrical stimulation of the belly can speed up defecation if stimulation is making the abdominal muscles contract and squeeze the belly, which is what the investigators expected. However, some results suggested that people may benefit from low stimulation levels without making the muscles contract. Therefore, the investigators will do small study at the University of Alberta on 12 people who lived with SCI for more than 1 year, to find out the best way to apply the electrical stimulation, and to better understand how it works. The participants will use an electrical stimulator at home, to stimulate the skin with 4 sticky pads attached over the abdomen, without causing the muscles to contract. During a 2-month period, they will use the stimulator for 30 minutes before every bowel routine. The investigators will compare how long it takes to empty the bowel, stool consistency, and how long it takes for food to pass through the bowel, with and without using the electrical stimulator.

Key facts

Study ID
NCT06948175
Run by
University of Alberta
People needed
12
Starts
2025-07-14
Expected to finish
2026-12-31
Last updated by the study team
2026-06-25

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 80. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

You may not qualify if…

Where it is running

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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