Clinical trial NCT04350359: Transcutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation for Spinal Cord Injury Neurogenic Bladder
Official title: Transcutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation for Spinal Cord Injury Neurogenic Bladder
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Spinal Cord Injuries
Keywords: electric stimulation
SCI
spinal cord injury
neurogenic bladder
Lead sponsor: The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: MedStar National Rehabilitation Network
name: The Methodist Hospital Research Institute
First posted: 2020-04-17
Enrollment: 120
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 75
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: FACTORIAL
Intervention model description: A prospective, double-blinded, randomized trial.
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to determine if electric stimulation to the leg, called transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS), can improve bladder outcomes in acute spinal cord injury.

Detailed description: The purpose of this study is to see how well TTNS works at preventing incontinence in people with paraplegia from SCI that perform intermittent catheterization to empty their bladder. This study will compare the effectiveness of TTNS at 2 doses, fixed-dose and variable-dose. It will also evaluate the frequency of use, 2 days weekly compared to 5 days weekly.

Based on our pilot trials, tibial nerve stimulation protocols use submotor current intensity with a duration of 200 µs and a frequency of 20Hz. The experimental group will use a submotor "variable dose." The fixed-dose group will use submotor at current intensity at 1mA and designated as "fixed-dose."

TTNS will be used 5 days weekly, per our pilot trial. At 4-months post-SCI, the subject will be instructed to switch to 2x daily if he or she was randomized into the variable dose group of 2 days weekly and thus continue to doing so for the remainder of study participation. Because there is support in the literature for reduced doses of tibial nerve stimulation required for maintenance (1-3x weekly), the RCT includes this frequency comparison arm. All subjects will continue for 1-year post-SCI.

Additionally, we are collecting surveys to help identify characteristics of people (resilience and confidence) and adherence to medication and TTNS use throughout the study.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* 18-75 years old
* Traumatic or non-traumatic SCI
* Admitted to inpatient rehabilitation within 6 weeks
* T9 level of injury and above who are at greatest risk of morbid NGB
* Regionally located to allow follow-up
* English or Spanish speaking

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of genitourinary diagnoses (i.e. prostate hypertrophy, overactive bladder, cancer, etc.)
* History of central nervous system disorder (i.e. prior SCI, stroke, brain injury, Parkinson's disease, MS, etc.)
* History of peripheral neuropathy
* pre-SCI symptoms of peripheral neuropathy (numbness and/or tingling in feet, sharp/jabbing/burning pain in feet, sensitivity to touch, lack of coordination, muscle weakness, etc.)
* Pregnancy
* Known injury to the lumbosacral spinal cord or plexus, or pelvis with associated neuropathy
* concern for tibial nerve pathway injury
* absence of toe flexion or autonomic dysreflexia during electric stimulation test
* Potential for progressive SCI including neurodegenerative SCI, ALS, cancer myelopathy, Multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis

Primary outcomes:
measure: Maintained bladder capacity as assessed by the Urodynamics study measured in ml
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: Maintained bladder capacity as assessed by the Urodynamics study measured in ml
timeFrame: 4 months post SCI
measure: Prolonged sensation with bladder filling as assessed by the Urodynamics study measured in ml
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: Prolonged sensation with bladder filling as assessed by the Urodynamics study measured in ml
timeFrame: 4 months post SCI
measure: Prolonged sensation with bladder filling as assessed by the Urodynamics study measured in ml
timeFrame: 1 year post SCI
measure: Change in bladder pathology from baseline presence of detrusor overactivity and DSD as assessed by the urodynamics study at 4 months.
timeFrame: Baseline, 4 months
measure: Change in bladder pathology from 4 month presence of detrusor overactivity and DSD as assessed by the urodynamics study at 1 year post SCI.
timeFrame: 4 months and 1 year post SCI
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Evidence of improved quality of life in those with effective bladder neuromodulation based on Incontinence Quality of Life (I-QOL) survey
timeFrame: At discharge which could be up to 4 week from admission, 4-months post injury and at 1 year post injury.
measure: Evidence of improved quality of life in those with effective bladder neuromodulation based on Neurogenic Bladder Symptom Score (NBSS)
timeFrame: Prior to discharge which could be up to 4 weeks from admission, monthly until 1 year post injury.
measure: Evidence of improved quality of life in those with effective bladder neuromodulation based on frequency of catheterization and voiding volumes
timeFrame: 2 days at the end of each month for 1 year.
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Washington
country: United States
facility: MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital
state: District of Columbia
city: Houston
country: United States
facility: TIRR Memorial Hermann Research Center
state: Texas
Study officials:
affiliation: UTHealth and TIRR Mermorial Hermann
name: Argyrios Stampas, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital
name: Suzanne Groah, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
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