Patent classifications
A61N1/36092
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR NEURAL STIMULATION VIA VISUAL, AUDITORY AND PERIPHERAL NERVE STIMULATIONS
Systems and methods of the present disclosure are directed to systems and methods for treating cognitive dysfunction in a subject in need thereof. The system can include a light source and a speaker. A visual neural stimulation system provides, via the light source, visual stimulation having a first value of a first parameter. An auditory neural stimulation system provides, via the speaker, audio stimulation having a second value of the second parameter. A stimuli orchestration component selects, for a first time interval, one of the visual stimulation or the audio stimulation to vary based on a policy, selects, for the first time interval, the other of the visual stimulation or the audio stimulation to keep constant based on the policy, and provides causes the one of the visual neural stimulation system or the auditory neural stimulation system to vary the one of the visual stimulation or the audio stimulation.
METHODS FOR ENHANCING EXPOSURE THERAPY USING PAIRING WITH VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION
A therapy method (for a patient having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)) includes providing an exposure event to the patient which is related to a traumatic event that contributed to the PTSD. A therapy method (for a patient having a phobia disorder) includes providing an extinction event to the patient which is related to something that contributed to the phobia disorder. A therapy method (for a patient having an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)) includes providing a therapy event to the patient which is related to something that contributed to the OCD. A therapy method (for a patient having an addiction disorder) includes providing a therapy event to the patient which is related to one or more things that contributed to the addiction disorder. Each of the therapy methods further includes providing vagus nerve stimulation to the patient electrically in temporal proximity to the corresponding exposure event, extinction event or therapy event.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COOPERATIVE INVASIVE AND NONINVASIVE BRAIN STIMULATION
Methods and systems for optimizing invasive and noninvasive brain stimulation are described herein. In a particular embodiment, methods and systems for a combinatorial, iterative approach to modify behavior are presented wherein deep brain stimulation (DBS) and other brain stimulation therapies are implemented in combination with monitoring the brain activity of an individual to optimize the effectiveness of the combinatorial approach to modify behavior. Methods described herein are iterative and systems described herein are utilized in iterative fashion. In a particular embodiment, modifying behavior provides a therapy for an individual in need thereof.
Stimulation of the forno-dorso-commissure (FDC) for seizure suppression and memory improvement
Example apparatus and methods cause activation of target neural tissue through electrical stimulation of a connected white matter tract to reduce the hyper-excitability of the target neural tissue and thus reduce seizures while preserving memory in humans. Example apparatus and methods apply low frequency (e.g., <10 HZ) electrical stimulation to the forno-dorso-commissure (FDC), detect an electrical signal generated in an area connected to, innervated by, or that can be activated by the FDC in response to the stimulation, and reconfigure the stimulation based on the detected signal and a desired therapeutic effect. The stimulation may be reconfigured to produce an electrical stimulation waveform that will produce the desired therapeutic effect. The desired therapeutic effect may be, for example, reducing hyper-excitability of neural tissue in a target area, reducing hippocampal spikes, reducing seizure odds, or improving recall.
METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND DEVICES FOR TREATING TINNITUS WITH VNS PAIRING
A method of treating tinnitus comprising measuring a patient's hearing, determining the patient's hearing loss and the patient's tinnitus frequency using the measurements of the patient's hearing, programming a clinical controller with the measurements of the patient's hearing, selecting a plurality of therapeutic tones, where the therapeutic tones are selected to be at least a half-octave above or below of the patient's tinnitus frequency, setting an appropriate volume for each of the plurality of tones, repetitively playing each of the plurality of therapeutic tones, and pairing a vagus nerve stimulation pulse train with each playing of a therapeutic tone, thereby reducing the patient's perception of tinnitus.
Non-invasive neuromodulation (NINM) for rehabilitation of brain function
A method to provide non-invasive neurostimulation to enhance a subject's proficiency in an exercise includes: (a) engaging a subject in an exercise, the subject having no cognitive, physical or emotional impairment with respect to the exercise; (b) providing stimulation of at least one of the subject's trigeminal nerve, facial nerve or hypoglossal nerve by delivering electrical pulses generated by a signal generator to the subject's skin via at least one electrode in contact with the subject's skin, the delivery of electrical pulses being (i) contemporaneously with and independent of the subject's engagement in the exercise, and (ii) independent of the subject's surrounding environment; and (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) on a periodic basis.
Non-invasive neuromodulation (NINM) for rehabilitation of brain function
In a patient suffering from neural impairment, stimulation is provided to sensory surfaces of the face and/or neck, or more generally to areas of the body that stimulate the trigeminal nerve, while performing an activity intended to stimulate a brain function to be rehabilitated. The simulation may then be continued after the performance of the activity has ceased. It has been found that the patient's performance of the activity is then improved after stimulation has ceased. Moreover, it tends to improve to a greater extent, and/or for a longer time, when the post-activity stimulation is applied, as compared to when post activity stimulation is not applied.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RESTORING COGNITIVE FUNCTION
Systems and methods for restoring cognitive function are disclosed. In some implementations, a method includes, at a computing device, separately stimulating one or more of lateral and medial entorhinal afferents and other structures connecting to a hippocampus of an animal subject in accordance with a plurality of predefined stimulation patterns, thereby attempting to restore object-specific memories and location-specific memories; collecting a plurality of one or more of macro- and micro-recordings of the stimulation of hippocampalentorhinal cortical (HEC) system; and refining the computational model for restoring individual memories in accordance with a portion of the plurality of one or more of macro- and micro-recordings.
METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND DEVICES FOR PAIRING VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION WITH MOTOR THERAPY IN STROKE PATIENTS
A method of treating motor deficits in a stroke patient, comprising assessing a patient's motor deficits, determining therapeutic goals for the patient, based on the patient's motor deficits, selecting therapeutic tasks based on the therapeutic goals, performing each of the selected therapeutic tasks repetitively, observing the performance of the therapeutic tasks, initiating the stimulation of the vagus nerve manually at approximately a predetermined moment during the performance of the therapeutic tasks, stimulating the vagus nerve of the patient during the performance of the selected therapeutic tasks, and improving the patient's motor deficits.
Non-invasive neuromodulation (NINM) for rehabilitation of brain function
In a patient suffering from neural impairment, stimulation is provided to sensory surfaces of the face and/or neck, or more generally to areas of the body that stimulate the trigeminal nerve, while performing an activity intended to stimulate a brain function to be rehabilitated. The simulation may then be continued after the performance of the activity has ceased. It has been found that the patient's performance of the activity is then improved after stimulation has ceased. Moreover, it tends to improve to a greater extent, and/or for a longer time, when the post-activity stimulation is applied, as compared to when postactivity stimulation is not applied.