Selective stimulation of lower urinary tract function in ovine

NIH RePORTER · NIH · U41 · $70,556 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

ABSTRACT SUMMARY Lower urinary tract symptoms such as urinary incontinence and overactive bladder are very common in non- neurogenic patients, with rates of around 10% in men and 20% in women, affecting millions of people worldwide and leading to significant healthcare costs and impact. Current neurostimulators for continuous modulation of bladder function apply neurostimulation to a sacral nerve or pudendal nerve with a multi-contact probe that is placed along or adjacent to the target nerve. This location does not allow for intentional selectivity of any part of the nerve. There are no FDA-approved clinical neuromodulation approaches targeting the pudendal nerve, which has been studied extensively in pre-clinical models for on-demand control over bladder excitation and relaxation. We believe that selective stimulation of the pudendal nerve may allow for user-initiated or closed-loop control over both continence and micturition in a more efficient manner than the current non-specific neuromodulation approach. In this proposal we will obtain the first demonstration of repeated selective pudendal nerve stimulation in an awake, large animal model. To perform these studies, it is critical that we can use human-relevant stimulation modules that allow for individual control over electrode channels, which the COSMIIC power and stimulation modules will provide.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10998796
Project number
3U41NS129436-02S3
Recipient
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
Principal Investigator
Cynthia Anne Chestek
Activity code
U41
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2024
Award amount
$70,556
Award type
3
Project period
2024-05-01 → 2025-08-31