Noninvasive genital nerve stimulation to help bladder control after spinal cord injury
Official title: Noninvasive Electrical Stimulation Device to Improve Bladder Control for Women with Spinal Cord Injury
Funded at Cleveland VA Medical Research/ed/fdn · NIH-11423753 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new noninvasive device uses genital nerve stimulation to help women with spinal cord injury gain better bladder control and reduce leakage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cleveland VA Medical Research/ed/fdn NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project start | August 22, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $572,132 |
| NIH project number | 1R61NS143667-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11423753 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women with spinal cord injury who experience neurogenic bladder and reflexive bladder contractions.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without neurogenic bladder due to spinal cord injury or those not experiencing reflexive contractions may not benefit.
What this research studies
This grant aims to develop a safe, easy-to-use stimulation system that quiets involuntary bladder contractions in women with spinal cord injury. The approach builds on earlier findings that surface genital nerve stimulation can suppress reflex bladder spasms during short visits and 1 month of home use. Researchers will refine the device to address daily living challenges and make it more convenient for patients to wear and use at home. The project includes testing in real-world conditions to see if the improved system can maintain bladder control over time and reduce urinary symptoms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the device could reduce incontinence episodes and urinary complications, improving independence and quality of life for women with SCI.
How similar studies have gone: Previous small studies show that genital nerve stimulation can reduce reflex bladder contractions in SCI, but longer-term, user-friendly solutions are still being developed.
Where this research is happening
-
Cleveland VA Medical Research/ed/fdn
Cleveland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bourbeau, Dennis — Cleveland VA Medical Research/ed/fdn
- Study coordinator: Bourbeau, Dennis
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Corticospinal neurons and recovery of precise forelimb movement after spinal cord injury
This project studies how spine injuries change brain circuits and whether targeted rehabilitation helps restore precise forelimb movement.
-
How baclofen and spinal cord stimulation interact in people with spinal cord injury
This study looks at how a common antispasmodic medicine (baclofen) works together with spinal cord stimulation in people who have spinal cord injuries and live with spasticity.
-
Targeting spinal cord inflammation with a new HuR inhibitor to help SCI patients
A new treatment approach uses a small molecule to block a brain-spinal inflammation regulator (HuR) that drives harmful inflammation after spinal cord injury, aiming to lessen damage and pain for people with SCI.
-
From Neural Control of Movement to Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury
A patient-focused project aims to translate how brain signals control movement after spinal cord injury into new treatments that improve muscle function and reduce spasticity.
-
Polaris: a compact system to help motor recovery after spinal cord injury and stroke
A new, easy-to-use device called Polaris may help people with spinal cord injury, stroke, or other chronic conditions regain movement by guiding a specialized reflex-based therapy.
-
Predicting and Preventing Chronic Aspiration After Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
This project looks at swallowing problems and chronic aspiration in adults with traumatic neck spine injuries to find patterns that could prevent serious lung complications.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.