The effect of abdominal functional electrical stimulation on bowel function in multiple sclerosis: a cohort study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Gastroenterology
• Rehabilitation

Background:

• Chronic constipation is a common and often poorly managed condition in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
• Existing treatments for constipation in MS offer limited efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of abdominal functional electrical stimulation (AFES) in improving gut transit times.
• To evaluate the impact of AFES on the quality of life related to bowel and bladder function in MS patients.

Main Methods:

• A 6-week study involving 23 MS patients with functional constipation.
• Participants underwent daily AFES for 1 hour, 5 days a week.
• Whole gut and colonic transit times, along with bowel and bladder quality of life, were measured pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• AFES did not significantly alter whole gut transit time (P=0.160) or colonic transit time (P=0.304).
• A significant improvement was observed in bowel-related quality of life (P=0.001).
• Bladder-related quality of life also showed significant improvement (P=0.007).

Conclusions:

• AFES is not effective in reducing gut transit times for individuals with MS and constipation.
• AFES significantly improves bowel and bladder-related quality of life in this patient population.