Principal Investigator

Gustafson, Ken, Ph.D.

"Bladder dysfunction resulting from neurological disease or spinal cord injury can have a devastating clinical impact. Our goal is to understand the complex interactions involved in the systems-level neural organization and control of bladder and urethral function. We use this information to develop neural prostheses or rehabilitative techniques that interface with the nervous system and restore genito-urinary function at the earliest opportunity. Our research interests are focused in four parallel areas:

1. Basic neurophysiology studies to discover and characterize the neural pathways involved in bladder and urethral function.
2. Translational research projects to develop methods to conduct investigations in humans and lead to clinical implementation.
3. Clinical studies in individuals with and without neural dysfunction.
4. Neural engineering studies to design and develop neural prostheses appropriate for the expected clinical applications."

Professional Affiliations

• Principal Investigator, Cleveland FES Center
• Research Scientist, Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Cleveland Louis Stokes Medical Center
• Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University
• Assistant Professor of Urology (Secondary Appt), Case Western Reserve University
• Associate Director, Neural Engineering Center, Case Western Reserve University

Publications (select)

• Bruns TM, Bhadra N, Gustafson KJ. Variable patterned pudendal nerve stimuli improves reflex bladder activation, In Press, IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng , 2007.
• A Boger, N Bhadra, KJ Gustafson. Bladder Voiding by Combined High Frequency Electrical Pudendal Nerve Block and Sacral Root Stimulation. In Press Neurourol Urodyn, 2007.
• Goldman H, CL Amundsen, J Mangel, J Grill, M Bennett, R Rackley, S Vasavada, KJ Gustafson, WM Grill. Dorsal Genital Nerve Stimulation for the Treatment of Overactive Bladder Symptoms. In Press Neurourol Urodyn, 2007.
• Lewandowski BE, Kilgore KL, Gustafson KJ. An implantable, muscle powered piezoelectric system for generating electrical power. Ann Biomed Eng. 35(4):631-41, 2007.
• Bhadra N, Bhadra N, Kilgore KL, Gustafson KJ. High Frequency electrical conduction block of the pudendal nerve. J Neural Eng. 3:180-187, 2006.
• Boggs JW, Wenzel BJ, Gustafson KJ, Grill WM. Frequency-Dependent Selection of Reflexes by Pudendal Afferents in the Cat. J Physiol. (Lond) 577:115-126, 2006.
• Gustafson KJ, Moffitt MA, Wang X, Sun J, Snyder SA, Grill WM. Topography of spinal neurons active during the hindlimb withdrawal reflexes in the decerebrate cat. Neuroscience. 141(4):1983-94, 2006.
• Wenzel BJ, Boggs JW, Gustafson KJ, Grill WM. Closed loop electrical control of urinary continence. J Urol. 175(4):1559-63, 2006.
• Boggs JW, Wenzel BJ, Gustafson KJ, Grill WM. Bladder Emptying by Intermittent Stimulation of the Pudendal Nerve. J Neural Eng. 3(1):43-51, 2006.
• Wenzel BJ, Boggs JW, Gustafson KJ, Creasey GH, Grill WM. Detection of neurogenic bladder contractions from the activity of the external anal sphincter in cat and human. Neurourol Urodyn. 25(2):140-7, 2006.

Research Programs

• Electrical Activation of Afferent Nerves to Restore Bladder Function
• Producing micturition by combined afferent and efferent electrical stimulation
• Development of a muscle-powered piezoelectric energy convertor.

Co-Investigator Programs

• Ohio Neurostimulation and Neuromodulation Partnership, National Institutes of Health
• Enhancing Neuroprosthesis Performance with Cuff Electrodes, National Institutes of Health
• Electrical Treatment of Reflex Incontinence, Department of Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation Research and Development Service
• Development and testing of a novel device for diagnosis of urinary incontinence.
• Development of a muscle powered cardiac assist device, NASA

Contact Information

216-368-8626 - Case Western Reserve University

Email: kenneth.gustafson@case.edu