# AccelBand, a leg-worn transcutaneous neuromodulation device for treating neurogenic bowel dysfunction in individuals with spinal cord injury

> **NIH NIH UG3** · TRANSTIMULATION RESEARCH, INC. · 2024 · $649,573

## Abstract

SUMMARY
Neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) is manifested as a slow colonic motility and constipation, and it is the 2nd
most common complication and 4th most common reason for re-hospitalization in people with spinal cord injury
(SCI). More than 1/3 of people with SCI rate NBD as the most significant quality of life issue. To treat NBD,
43% of SCI individuals take laxatives despite the lack of clinical trials supporting their use. In addition, 65% of
people with SCI resort to using stigmatizing, undignified, burdensome, and time-consuming bowel care
procedures. Key pathophysiologies of NBD in SCI resulting from a loss of central neural control include: 1)
prolonged colonic transit, 2) rectal hyposensitivity, and 3) anorectal dyssynergia. Progress in developing
effective drug treatments for improving NBD has been slow, despite an urgent unmet need. Consequently,
non-drug therapies, including transcutaneous neuromodulation (TNM), are have been explored for NBD. In our
clinical studies, we discovered that TNM applied at the acupuncture point ST36 (below the kneecap) improves
NBD in patients with stroke, chronic constipation, and other disorders by accelerating colonic transit, improving
rectal sensitivity, and restoring colon - external anal sphincter synergy, with TNM effects mediated via the
sacral parasympathetic activation. Anatomically, the ST36 acupuncture point is located at the cutaneous
endings of the sacral nerves. Since direct stimulation of the sacral nerve and roots shown to improve NBD after
SCI in 4 clinical studies, we hypothesize that TNM at ST36 is similarly capable of improving NBD in patients
with SCI. We further hypothesize that therapeutic effects of TNM on the colonic transit would be mediated via
the sacral parasympathetic pathway and on restoring the rectal sensitivity and colon - external anal sphincter
synergy – via the sacral somatic pathway.
The long-term goal of this project is to develop a novel noninvasive TNM therapy using a wearable device
placed on ST36 acupuncture point for treating NBD in SCI and other neurological disorders. The specific aims
of this project are to design and develop an easy-to-use leg-worn TNM device AccelBand and to evaluate its
clinical potential in treating NBD in SCI.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10703441
- **Project number:** 5UG3NS125182-02
- **Recipient organization:** TRANSTIMULATION RESEARCH, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Jiande Chen
- **Activity code:** UG3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $649,573
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-09-15 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10703441

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10703441, AccelBand, a leg-worn transcutaneous neuromodulation device for treating neurogenic bowel dysfunction in individuals with spinal cord injury (5UG3NS125182-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10703441. Licensed CC0.

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