Recovery of Bladder and Sexual Function After Spinal Cord Injury

Objectives: To determine the effects of weight-bearing task-specific training for locomotion
(stepping on a treadmill) after traumatic incomplete and complete spinal cord injury in
humans on a) urodynamic parameters and b) sexual function outcomes. Weight-bearing
(stand-only) and non-weight-bearing exercise (i.e. arm crank) will serve as controls.

Criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

- stable medical condition without cardiopulmonary disease or dysautonomia that would
contraindicate locomotor training, stand, or non-weight bearing training

- no painful musculoskeletal dysfunction,

- unhealed fracture, contracture, pressure sore or urinary tract infection that might
interfere with training

- no clinically significant depression or ongoing drug abuse;

- clear indications that the period of spinal shock is concluded determined by presence
of muscle tone, deep tendon reflexes or muscle spasms and discharged from standard
inpatient rehabilitation

- non- progressive suprasacral spinal cord injury

- bladder and sexual dysfunction as a result of spinal cord injury

Exclusion criteria:

- unstable medical condition with cardiopulmonary disease or dysautonomia that would
contraindicate locomotor training, stand, or non-weight bearing training;

- painful musculoskeletal dysfunction, unhealed fractures, contractures, pressure sores
or urinary tract infections that might interfere with training

- clinically significant depression or ongoing drug abuse;

- clear indications that the period of spinal shock has not concluded and not discharged
from standard inpatient rehabilitation

- progressive spinal cord injury

- no bladder and sexual dysfunction as a result of spinal cord injury