Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation for treating neurogenic bladder dysfunction following spinal cord injury

As much as 80 percent of people with a spinal cord injury (SCI) develop urinary bladder problems. Recovery of bladder function is consistently rated as a top treatment priority for people with SCI. Left unmanaged, bladder dysfunction can result in frequent urine leakage or unwanted urine retention that often cause kidney or urinary tract infections which drastically reduce overall quality of life. Despite the prevalence of this issue, treatment for restoring bladder function remains under-emphasized in SCI research. Of even greater concern are consequences associated with rapid, and often life-threatening, increases in blood pressure triggered by bladder care. Electrical spinal cord stimulation via surgically implanted electrodes is a potential treatment option that has been shown to promote functional recovery after SCI by modulating silent spinal circuits. However, the surgical implantation of electrodes and the stimulator is invasive, expensive and has inherent risks. We propose to improve bladder function and prevent associated blood pressure surges via non-invasive spinal cord stimulation using electrodes placed over the skin, thereby minimizing patient risk and obviating the need for invasive and expensive surgery.