Project Type
modular
Project Lead Center
Southern California Spinal Cord Injury Model System
Project Start Date
09/01/2021
Project End Date
08/31/2026
Participating Centers
Northern California Spinal Cord Injury Model System of Care (NCSCIMS)
Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System
Northeast Ohio Regional Spinal Cord Injury System

Neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) is a common complication of spinal cord injury (SCI). It has a significant impact on quality of life and is a top rehabilitation priority for patients with SCI. However, little is known about bowel-related quality of life in this population and the factors that influence bowel-related quality of life are poorly understood. In addition, how bowel-related quality of life changes over time after an injury is unknown, as very few studies have addressed changes in neurogenic bowel function in a longitudinal fashion. Therefore, our objective is to determine the factors associated with improved bowel-related quality of life and to increase our understanding of how bowel-related quality of life changes longitudinally after SCI.