According to one embodiment, a stress detection apparatus includes a processor. The processor acquires heartbeat information. The processor calculates a heart rate variability factor from the heartbeat information. The processor detects change of an activity of sympathetic nervous system, based on the heart rate variability factor. The processor detects change of an activity of parasympathetic nervous system, based on the heart rate variability factor. The processor detects presence/absence of a stress state, based on time from detection of the change of the sympathetic nervous system to detection of the change of the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system. The processor acquires outside stimuli. The processor identifies a stressor that has provided the stress state from the acquired outside stimuli, based on timing at which the change of the sympathetic nervous system has been detected if the stress state is detected.

A system and method are provided that employ a monitoring device to monitor at least one patient physiological response to a change in temperature of the patient (e.g. pursuant to induced hypothermia therapy), wherein a monitoring signal is provided by the monitoring device. In turn, an output (e.g. a visual and/or auditory output) may be provided to a user indicative of at least one measure of patient response to the change in temperature. Alternatively or additionally, a processor may be provided to process the monitoring signal and provide an output employable by medical personnel to control a patient shivering response to the patient temperature change. Such information may comprise information regarding one or more anti-shivering medicament(s), e.g. corresponding dosage and/or frequency information for use by medical personnel in the administration of the anti-shivering medicament. In one approach, a motion sensor may be selectively attached to a patient's chin to provide a wireless monitoring signal to a transceiver. In turn, the transceiver may provide the monitoring signal to the processor on an ongoing basis to output information useful in the administration of an anti-shivering medicament, including updated information that takes into account a patient's response to a prior administration of one or more medicaments in conjunction with the subsequent administration of an anti-shivering medicament.

Systems and methods for remote therapy and patient monitoring are provided. A method comprises contacting an outer skin surface of a patient with a contact surface of a stimulator and transmitting an electrical impulse from the stimulator transcutaneously through the outer skin surface to a nerve within the patient. Data related to parameters of the electrical impulse applied to the nerve is stored and transmitted to a remote source. The data may include duration of treatment, amplitude of the electrical impulse, compliance with a prescribed therapy regimen or other relevant data related to the therapy. The method may further include collecting patient status data, such as symptoms of a medical condition (e.g., severity of a headache) before, during and/or after stimulation. The patient status data is correlated with the treatment data to monitor compliance and/or the effectiveness of the therapy.

This invention provides methods for mapping and ablating renal nerves to treat disease caused by systemic renal nerve hyperactivity, e.g. hypertension, heart failure, renal failure and diabetes. Also provided are catheters for performing the mapping and ablating functions.

A method of improving psychophysiological function of a subject performing a stress-inducing activity using a computer includes, after a plurality of sensors that monitor stress-indicating physiological parameters have been coupled to the subject and to the computer, providing, by the computer to the subject, a set of training segments that each present the subject with one or more visual, audible, or tactile prompts, wherein in at least one of the training segments, the prompts induce the subject to simultaneously perform both the stress-inducing activity and a relaxation-inducing protocol. The computer provides the set of training segments until a value of at least one physiological parameter that indicates stress in the subject is within a pre-defined range of a baseline value of the parameter, thereby indicating that the subject has successfully performed the stress-inducing activity while maintaining alertness with a relative minimum of stress.

Methods are provided for non-invasive early screening of a subject for a neurodegenerative disorder, by analyzing one or more parameters associated with the neurodegenerative disorder.

Compositions, systems, devices, and methods for performing precise chemical treatment of tissues are disclosed. Systems, devices, and methods for administering a chemical agent to one or more a precise regions within a tissue mass are disclosed. Compositions, systems, devices, and methods for treating targeted regions within a tissue mass are disclosed.

A massage machine includes a backrest and a seat, and further includes a treatment unit configured to perform a treatment with respect to a subject; a measurement unit configured to measure beat rates of the subject or an amylase activity in saliva of the subject before and after a predetermined time; and an evaluation portion. The evaluation portion performs an evaluation of the treatment based on a first index indicating a parasympathetic nervous function activity of the subject and a second index indicating a sympathetic nervous function activity of the subject. The first index and the second index are obtained based on the beat rates or the amylase activity before and after the predetermined time.

The disclosed system relates to the diagnosis and correction of autonomic nervous system imbalance through the recognition and improvement of parasympathetic tone of a user using paced breathing and vibratory neuromodulation. The system includes a wearable IBI detector, software for analyzing PSD data and determining recommended therapy, a vibratory stimulator, and optional smart phone guidance. The IBI detector reads the pulsatile waveform to produce IBI data that is used to compute PSD data. The PSD data is analyzed for ANS imbalance indicators and therapy is recommended based on continuously updated information stored in a database. Results from application of recommended therapy are stored and shared and can be used to build a personalized training regime to strengthen parasympathetic tone.

Included are: an averaging processing unit configured to acquire video data of a facial image captured of a face of a target person and average all pixels in a specific region of the acquired video data, at regular time intervals, in terms of a difference component between color components of primary colors in the specific region; a fluctuation acquisition unit configured to obtain a fluctuation in each of the color components of the primary colors averaged by the averaging processing unit; and a detection unit configured to detect a blood flow or an activity based on the blood flow on the basis of an amount of fluctuation obtained by the fluctuation acquisition unit. This makes it possible to easily, in a non-contact manner, highly accurately detect the blood flow and detect an activity such as an autonomic nervous activity without preparing a special device.