Carl G. Kukulka, PhD, PT

CARL G. KUKULKA, PhD, PT
Program in Physical Therapy, University of Minnesota
384 Children's Rehab Center
612-625-0522
kukul001@umn.edu

Position:
Professor

Professional Interest:
Professional interests in basic mechanisms underlying the organization of the spinal cord in health and disease. Current research projects include evaluation of spinal pathways in spinal cord injury, and the role of cutaneous afferent reflexes in step initiation.

Education History:
Visiting Assistant Fellow, John B. Pierce Foundation, 1979-1981.
Dr. Bigland-Ritchie, (Post Doctoral Mentor), New Haven, CT.

Doctorate of  Physiology, 1973-1978.
Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University

Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy, 1967-1971.
Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York

Research:

Muscular Dystrophy Association: Discharge Behavior of Human Motor Units (Post-doctoral fellowship) (1980-82); $30,000

Muscular Dystrophy Association:  Influence of Recurrent Inhibition in Normal Fatigued and Dystrophic Human Muscle (Principal Investigator) (1984-85); $10,000

NIH: Cutaneous Afferent Influences on Human Motor Unit Firings
(Principal Investigator) (1987-1992);  $249,000

NIH: Properties of Knee Ligament Mechanoreceptor Afferents
Funded for 4 years (1990-1994);  $295,000
Kelly Cole, PhD (Principal Investigator) Carl Kukulka (Investigator)

NIH: Extremity Constraint Induced Therapy Evaluation (EXCITE) – Multi-center National Clinical Trial, Funded for 5 years (2000-2005); $455,344
Kukulka, C.G.(Principal Investigator for University of Florida site)  Wolf, S.L (Project Principal Investigator, Emory University)

Publications:

Rogers MW, Kukulka CG, Brunt D, Cain TD, Hanke TA (2001)  The influence of stimulus cue on the initiation of stepping in young and older adults.  Arch Phys Med Rehabil 82:619-624.

Trimble MH, Kukulka CG, Thomas T (2000)  Reflex facilitation during the stretch shortening cycle.  J EMG Kines 10:179-187.

M.H. Trimble, Kukulka, C.J. and A.L. Behrman. (1998) The effect of treadmill gait training on low-frequency depression of the soleus H-reflex: A case study of a spinal cord injuried man.   Neuroscience Letters 246:186-188, 1998.

Halle, J.S., Kukulka, C.G. (1996). Response of human soleus motor units to changes in joint position and intensity of peroneal nerve stimulation. J EMG Kinesiology. 6: 97-109.

Zijdewing, I., Kernell, D., Kukulka, C.G. (1994). Spatial differences in fatigue-associated EMG behavior of the human first dorsal interosseus muscle. J Physiology. 483(2): 499-509.

Kukulka, C.G. (1994). The Reflex Effects of Nonnoxious Sural Nerve Stimulation on Human Triceps Surae Motor Neurons. J Neurophysiology. 71: 1897-1906.

Ballantyne, B.T., Kukulka, C.G., Soderberg, G.L. (1993). Motor Unit Recruitment in Human Medial Gastrocnemius Muscle During Combined Knee Flexion - Plantarflexion Isometric contractions. Exp. Brain Res. 93: 492-498.