Spinal cord injury impacts communication between the brain and the neurons in the lower part of the spinal cord that controls bladder, bowel, and sexual function. This communication from the brain is necessary for voluntarily control of these systems. Investigators from the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center at the University of Louisville have discovered that rehabilitation designed to improve motor function also resulted in improved bladder, bowel and sexual desire. Their work, which is published in the journal PLOS ONE, highlights the value of activity-based rehabilitative therapies, such as locomotor training, for not only improving motor activity, but also for the potential to recover autonomic function throughout the body.
UofL researchers report activity-based training improves urinary function after spinal cord injury | UofL News
Activity-based training has resulted in unexpected benefits for individuals with severe spinal cord injury. Researchers in the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center at the University of Louisville have discovered that the training, designed to help individuals with SCI improve motor function, also leads to improved bladder and bowel function and increased sexual desire.