Improving assessment tools for pelvic floor muscle health during pregnancy

Development of Analysis Tools to Enhance Magnetomyographic Assessment of Pelvic Floor Muscles

NIH-funded research Univ of Arkansas for Med Scis · NIH-10817866

This study is looking at how pregnancy and childbirth can affect women's pelvic floor muscles, using a special tool to measure muscle activity, so we can find better ways to prevent and treat issues like incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniv of Arkansas for Med Scis NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Little Rock, United States)
Project IDNIH-10817866 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research focuses on understanding pelvic floor injuries that women may experience during pregnancy and childbirth, which can lead to disorders such as pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence. By utilizing a novel noninvasive tool called the SQUID Array for Reproductive Assessment (SARA), the study aims to record and analyze the biomagnetic signals from pelvic floor muscles during contractions. Advanced signal processing techniques will be applied to better understand the muscle's electrophysiology and the changes that occur during pregnancy. This could lead to improved prevention and treatment strategies for pelvic floor disorders.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are pregnant women or those who have recently given birth, particularly those experiencing pelvic floor issues.

Not a fit: Patients who are not pregnant or have not recently given birth may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better prevention and management of pelvic floor disorders in women, enhancing their quality of life post-pregnancy.

How similar studies have performed: While there have been studies on pelvic floor disorders, this approach using biomagnetic signal assessment is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.

Where this research is happening

Little Rock, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.