Cette page a été traduite automatiquement et l'exactitude de la traduction n'est pas garantie. Veuillez vous référer au version anglaise pour un texte source.

Active Versus Passive Anal Sphincter Training in Patients With Fecal Incontinence (ACTIPAST)

22 mai 2026 mis à jour par: Peter Liptak, University Hospital, Martin

Fecal incontinence is a disabling condition that can substantially impair quality of life. This study evaluates whether home-based anal electrical stimulation combined with active voluntary anal sphincter contraction is superior to electrical stimulation alone in patients with fecal incontinence.

The study is a prospective, randomized, parallel-group, open-label controlled trial. Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either electrical stimulation with synchronized active sphincter contraction or electrical stimulation alone. The primary outcome is the change in Vaizey/St. Mark's Incontinence Score from baseline to week 12. Secondary outcomes include fecal incontinence episodes, quality of life, anorectal manometry parameters, adherence, safety, and sustained response during follow-up.

Aperçu de l'étude

Statut

Recrutement

Les conditions

Intervention / Traitement

Description détaillée

This prospective randomized controlled trial will compare two home-based rehabilitation approaches for fecal incontinence. Eligible adult patients with urge, passive, or mixed fecal incontinence will be enrolled at study site: University Hospital Martin, Slovakia. Possibility to incorporate another study centre with be allowed. Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to one of two treatment arms.

In the active treatment arm, participants will use anal electrical stimulation combined with active voluntary anal sphincter contraction. Electrical stimulation will be delivered using the commercially available NeuroTrac Continence device with a frequency of 40 Hz, pulse width of 250 µs, 5-second ON and 10-second OFF cycles, 1-second ramp-up, and a session duration of 25 minutes. Stimulation intensity will be adjusted by the patient up to the maximum tolerable level without pain. Participants will be instructed to perform a maximum voluntary anal sphincter contraction for 5 seconds at the start of each stimulation ON cycle and to relax during the rest phase.

In the control intervention arm, participants will use identical electrical stimulation parameters but will remain relaxed during stimulation and will not perform active voluntary sphincter contractions. Both groups will receive standardized patient education, including device training and written instructions.

The intervention period will last 12 weeks. Study assessments will include the Vaizey/St. Mark's Incontinence Score, Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life scale, 14-day bowel diary, adherence assessment, adverse event monitoring, and high-resolution anorectal manometry. Optionally patients will be also assessed by endoanal ultrasound to detect possible structural abnormalities where clinical suspicion of these will be present. Assessments will be performed at baseline, week 12, and week 36 (as a post treatment follow up), with interim phone or secure online follow-up for adherence and safety. The primary endpoint is the mean change in Vaizey/St. Mark's Incontinence Score from baseline to week 12. Secondary endpoints include changes in weekly fecal incontinence episodes, FIQL subscales, anorectal manometry parameters, treatment adherence, adverse events, and sustained clinical improvement during follow-up.

Type d'étude

Interventionnel

Inscription (Estimé)

24

Phase

  • N'est pas applicable

Contacts et emplacements

Cette section fournit les coordonnées de ceux qui mènent l'étude et des informations sur le lieu où cette étude est menée.

Coordonnées de l'étude

Sauvegarde des contacts de l'étude

Lieux d'étude

  • Slovaquie
      • Martin, Slovaquie, 03601
        • Recrutement
        • Clinic of Internal Medicine- Gastroenterology, University Hospital Martin
        • Contact:
        • Contact:

Critères de participation

Les chercheurs recherchent des personnes qui correspondent à une certaine description, appelée critères d'éligibilité. Certains exemples de ces critères sont l'état de santé général d'une personne ou des traitements antérieurs.

Critère d'éligibilité

Âges éligibles pour étudier

  • Adulte
  • Adulte plus âgé

Accepte les volontaires sains

Non

La description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Signed informed consent
  • Age ≥18 years
  • Diagnosis of fecal incontinence (urge, passive, or mixed type) with at least 1 episode of involuntary stool leakage requiring hygiene intervention or underwear change per month for ≥3 months
  • Vaizey (St. Mark's) Incontinence Score ≥8
  • Ability to understand study procedures and comply with the 12-week home intervention
  • Willingness to attend all study visits and assessments
  • Stable medical management for fecal incontinence for at least 4 weeks prior to enrollment

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Complete spinal cord injury above the conus medullaris
  • Active inflammatory bowel disease flare requiring systemic therapy or not in clinical remission
  • Rectal prolapse requiring surgical intervention
  • Severe symptomatic hemorrhoids interfering with anorectal assessments or device use
  • Active anal fissure or perianal fistula
  • Active colorectal cancer or history of colorectal cancer within 5 years
  • Colorectal surgery within the previous 6 months
  • Pregnancy or planned pregnancy during study participation
  • Implanted cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator
  • Other implanted electrical devices contraindicating electrical stimulation
  • Previous specialized pelvic floor physiotherapy, biofeedback therapy, EMG-guided rehabilitation, or anal electrical stimulation within 3 months prior to randomization
  • Cognitive impairment preventing understanding of study procedures or informed consent
  • Uncontrolled severe diarrhea (>5 liquid stools/day)
  • Anal stenosis preventing probe insertion
  • Severe anal sphincter defect (>120° on ultrasound) requiring surgical repair
  • Isolated severe rectal sensory dysfunction without significant sphincter dysfunction
  • Previous pelvic radiotherapy
  • Concurrent participation in another interventional clinical trial

Plan d'étude

Cette section fournit des détails sur le plan d'étude, y compris la façon dont l'étude est conçue et ce que l'étude mesure.

Comment l'étude est-elle conçue ?

Détails de conception

  • Objectif principal: Traitement
  • Répartition: Randomisé
  • Modèle interventionnel: Affectation parallèle
  • Masquage: Aucun (étiquette ouverte)

Armes et Interventions

Groupe de participants / Bras
Intervention / Traitement
Comparateur actif: Electrical Stimulation + Active Contraction
Home-based anal electrical stimulation combined with synchronized active voluntary anal sphincter contraction for 12 weeks
Dispositif: Home-based anal electrical stimulator
Home-based anal electrical stimulation delivered using the NeuroTrac Continence device. Stimulation parameters include frequency 40 Hz, pulse width 250 µs, 5 seconds ON and 10 seconds OFF cycles, 1-second ramp-up, session duration 25 minutes, and patient-adjusted intensity up to the maximum tolerable level without pain.
Comparateur actif: Electrical Stimulation Alone
Home-based anal electrical stimulation alone without active voluntary sphincter contraction for 12 weeks.
Dispositif: Home-based anal electrical stimulator
Home-based anal electrical stimulation delivered using the NeuroTrac Continence device. Stimulation parameters include frequency 40 Hz, pulse width 250 µs, 5 seconds ON and 10 seconds OFF cycles, 1-second ramp-up, session duration 25 minutes, and patient-adjusted intensity up to the maximum tolerable level without pain.

Que mesure l'étude ?

Principaux critères de jugement

Mesure des résultats
Description de la mesure
Délai
Change in Vaizey (St. Mark's) Incontinence Score From Baseline to Week 12
Délai: Baseline to Week 12
Mean change in Vaizey (St. Mark's) Incontinence Score between baseline and week 12. The Vaizey score ranges from 0 to 24, with higher scores indicating more severe fecal incontinence symptoms.
Baseline to Week 12

Mesures de résultats secondaires

Mesure des résultats
Description de la mesure
Délai
Change in Weekly Fecal Incontinence Episodes From Baseline to Week 12
Délai: Baseline to Week 12
Mean change in the number of weekly fecal incontinence episodes recorded in a 14-day bowel diary.
Baseline to Week 12
Proportion of Participants Achieving ≥30% Reduction in Vaizey Score at Week 12
Délai: Week 12
Percentage of participants achieving at least a 30% reduction in Vaizey (St. Mark's) Incontinence Score compared with baseline.
Week 12
Sustained Improvement in Vaizey Score at Week 36
Délai: Baseline to Week 36
Mean change in Vaizey (St. Mark's) Incontinence Score at long-term follow-up compared with baseline.
Baseline to Week 36
Change in Maximum Squeeze Pressure on High-Resolution Anorectal Manometry
Délai: Baseline to Week 12
Mean change in maximum squeeze pressure measured by high-resolution anorectal manometry (HRAM).
Baseline to Week 12
Change in Resting Anal Pressure on High-Resolution Anorectal Manometry
Délai: Baseline to Week 12
Mean change in resting anal pressure measured by high-resolution anorectal manometry (HRAM).
Baseline to Week 12
Change in Squeeze Endurance on High-Resolution Anorectal Manometry
Délai: Baseline to Week 12
Mean change in squeeze endurance measured during HRAM assessment.
Baseline to Week 12
Treatment Adherence Rate
Délai: During the 12-week intervention period
Percentage of prescribed home stimulation sessions completed during the 12-week intervention period
During the 12-week intervention period
Incidence of Adverse Events and Device-Related Complications
Délai: Baseline to Week 36
Number and type of adverse events and device-related complications reported during the study period.
Baseline to Week 36
Change in Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life (FIQL) Scores
Délai: Baseline to Week 12
Mean change in FIQL subscale scores (Lifestyle, Coping/Behavior, Depression/Self-Perception, and Embarrassment) from baseline. FIQL subscale scores range from 1 to 4, with higher scores indicating better quality of life.
Baseline to Week 12

Collaborateurs et enquêteurs

C'est ici que vous trouverez les personnes et les organisations impliquées dans cette étude.

Parrainer

University Hospital, Martin

Collaborateurs

Comenius University

Les enquêteurs

  • Directeur d'études: Peter Liptak, MD, PhD, Clinic of Internal Medicine- Gastroenterology, University Hospital Martin, Jessenous Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University, Slovakia

Dates d'enregistrement des études

Ces dates suivent la progression des dossiers d'étude et des soumissions de résultats sommaires à ClinicalTrials.gov. Les dossiers d'étude et les résultats rapportés sont examinés par la Bibliothèque nationale de médecine (NLM) pour s'assurer qu'ils répondent à des normes de contrôle de qualité spécifiques avant d'être publiés sur le site Web public.

Dates principales de l'étude

Début de l'étude (Réel)

15 mai 2026

Achèvement primaire (Estimé)

1 mai 2029

Achèvement de l'étude (Estimé)

1 mai 2029

Dates d'inscription aux études

Première soumission

17 mai 2026

Première soumission répondant aux critères de contrôle qualité

17 mai 2026

Première publication (Réel)

22 mai 2026

Mises à jour des dossiers d'étude

Dernière mise à jour publiée (Réel)

28 mai 2026

Dernière mise à jour soumise répondant aux critères de contrôle qualité

22 mai 2026

Dernière vérification

1 mai 2026

Plus d'information

Termes liés à cette étude

Mots clés

Termes MeSH pertinents supplémentaires

Autres numéros d'identification d'étude

  • EK38/2026

Plan pour les données individuelles des participants (IPD)

Prévoyez-vous de partager les données individuelles des participants (DPI) ?

OUI

Description du régime IPD

De-identified individual participant data underlying the reported study results may be shared upon reasonable request to the principal investigator following publication of the primary results. Data sharing will be considered for methodologically sound research proposals and in accordance with institutional policies, ethical approval requirements, and applicable data protection regulations (including GDPR).

Délai de partage IPD

Beginning 6 months after publication of the primary study results and ending 5 years after publication

Critères d'accès au partage IPD

Access will be provided to qualified researchers whose proposed use of the data has been approved by the study investigators and relevant institutional authorities. A data access agreement may be required.

Type d'informations de prise en charge du partage d'IPD

  • PROTOCOLE D'ÉTUDE
  • SÈVE

Informations sur les médicaments et les dispositifs, documents d'étude

Étudie un produit pharmaceutique réglementé par la FDA américaine

Non

Étudie un produit d'appareil réglementé par la FDA américaine

Non

Ces informations ont été extraites directement du site Web clinicaltrials.gov sans aucune modification. Si vous avez des demandes de modification, de suppression ou de mise à jour des détails de votre étude, veuillez contacter register@clinicaltrials.gov. Dès qu'un changement est mis en œuvre sur clinicaltrials.gov, il sera également mis à jour automatiquement sur notre site Web .

S'abonner