Transcranial intervention to weaken traumatic memories

• US 10,046,162 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Pilly, Praveen K., Howard, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Porter, Jr., Allen
• Application Number:
  US15/072,353
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 607 45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7271 Specific aspects of physiological measurement analysis A61B5/316, A61B5/349 and A61B5/374 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0456 Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0484 Garment electrodes worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36025 for treating a mental or cerebral condition

Abstract

Described is a system for weakening traumatic memories using transcranially-applied electro-stimulation. The system uses a recording of spatiotemporally distributed brain activity of a human subject experiencing a traumatic memory to generate a traumatic pattern. Additionally, the system uses a recording of spatiotemporally distributed brain activity of the human subject experiencing a non-traumatic memory to generate an antidote pattern. A required transcranially-applied electro-stimulation is determined to recreate the antidote pattern to block consolidation and reconsolidation of the traumatic memory in the human subject.

Claims

1. A system for weakening traumatic memories, the system comprising:

one or more processors and a non-transitory memory having instructions encoded thereon such that when the instructions are executed, the one or more processors perform operations of;

using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, snapping a first set of transcranial sensor electrical signals of a first brain state to relevant voxels of brain volume, wherein the first brain state occurs indicating a first memory or set of memories;

using magnetic resonance imaging data, mapping a second set of transcranial sensor electrical signals of a second brain state to relevant voxels of brain volume, wherein the second brain state occurs indicating no recall of the first memory or set of memories;

determining a difference in activity for each relevant voxel between the first set of transcranial sensor electrical signals and the second set of transcranial sensor electrical signals, resulting in a desired activity change in each voxel;

translating the desired activity change in each voxel into a desired electric field by using an optimization technique to solve for the desired electric field;

training a classifier to recognize the first set of transcranial sensor electrical signals associated with the first memory or set of memories; and

when the classifier recognizes the first set of transcranial sensor electrical signals associated with the first memory or set of memories, then applying, via a set of electrodes, the desired electric field to transition from the first brain state toward the second brain state.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein recording of the first and second set of transcranial sensor electrical signals is adapted to be initiated by a human subject.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the first and second set of transcranial sensor electrical signals are sensed by a high-resolution sensor array that is adapted to be distributed over the head of the human subject.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the one or more processors perform operation of:

recognizing, with the trained classifier, a neocortical replay associated with the first set of transcranial sensor electrical signals while a human subject is asleep; and

initiating therapy automatically, applying transcranial electro-stimulation corresponding to the desired electric field at the set of electrodes.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the one or more processors further perform an operation of applying transcranial electro-stimulation corresponding to the desired electric field at the set of electrodes when a human subject is awake.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the desired electric field is applied using a transcranial stimulation cap adapted to be worn by a human subject.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data, linking at least one of electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional near infrared sensing (fNIRS) signals with stimulation-induced flows in brain volume, wherein DTI provides average orientation and density of white matter tracts in each voxel, which are used to convert electric fields into the desired activity change.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the one or more processors further perform operations of:

using weighted Mill data of a human subject, generating a personalized model of voltage fluctuations in the transcranial sensor electrical signals; and

generating a personalized model of transcranial stimulation (tCS)-induced current density distribution in brain volume.

9. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data, the desired activity change in each voxel is translated into the desired electric field by aligning to an average orientation of white matter tracts in each voxel.

10. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the desired electric field is generated using a stimulation montage.

11. A computer-implemented method for weakening traumatic memories, comprising:

an act of causing one or more processors to execute instructions stored on a non-transitory memory such that upon execution, the one or more processors perform operations of;

using magnetic resonance imaging data, mapping a first set of transcranial sensor electrical signals of a first brain state to relevant voxels of brain volume, wherein the first brain state occurs indicating a first memory or set of memories;

using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, mapping a second set of transcranial sensor electrical signals of a second brain state to relevant voxels of brain volume, wherein the second brain state occurs indicating no recall of the first memory or set of memories;

determining a difference in activity for each relevant voxel between the first set of transcranial sensor electrical signals and the second set of transcranial sensor electrical signals, resulting in a desired activity change in each voxel;

translating the desired activity change in each voxel into a desired electric field by using an optimization technique to solve for the desired electric field;

training a classifier to recognize the first set of transcranial sensor electrical signals associated with the first memory or set of memories; and

when the classifier recognizes the first set of transcranial sensor electrical signals associated with the first memory or set of memories, then applying, via a set of electrodes, the desired electric field to transition from the first brain state toward the second brain state.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein a human subject initiates recording of the first and the second set of transcranial sensor electrical signals.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the first and second set of transcranial sensor electrical signals are sensed by a high-resolution sensor array distributed over the head of the human subject.

14. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the one or more processors perform operations of:

recognizing, with the trained classifier, a neocortical replay associated with the first set of transcranial sensor electrical signals while a human subject is asleep; and

initiating therapy automatically, applying transcranial electro-stimulation corresponding to the desired electric field at the set of electrodes.

15. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the one or more processors further perform an operation of applying transcranial electro-stimulation corresponding to the desired electric field at the set of electrodes when a human subject is awake.

16. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the desired electric filed is applied using a transcranial stimulation cap worn by a human subject.

17. A computer program product for weakening traumatic memories, the computer program product comprising:

computer-readable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by a computer having one or more processors for causing the processor to perform operations of;

using magnetic resonance imaging data, mapping a first set of transcranial sensor electrical signals of a first brain state to relevant voxels of brain volume, wherein the first brain state occurs indicating a first memory or set of memories;

using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data;

mapping a second set of transcranial sensor electrical signals of a second brain state to relevant voxels of brain volume, wherein the second brain state occurs indicating no recall of the first memory or set of memories;

determining a difference in activity for each relevant voxel between the first set of transcranial sensor electrical signals and the second set of transcranial sensor electrical signals, resulting in a desired activity change in each voxel;

translating the desired activity change in each voxel into a desired electric field by using an optimization technique to solve for the desired electric field;

training a classifier to recognize the first set of transcranial sensor electrical signals associated with the first memory or set of memories; and

when the classifier recognizes the first set of transcranial sensor electrical signals associated with the first memory or set of memories, then applying, via a set of electrodes, the desired electric field to transition from the first brain state toward the second brain state.

18. The system as set forth in claim 17, wherein recording of the first and second set of transcranial sensor electrical signals is adapted to be initiated by a human subject.

19. The system as set forth in claim 18, wherein the first and second set of transcranial sensor electrical signals are sensed by a high-resolution sensor array that is adapted to be distributed over the head of the human subject.

20. The computer program product as set forth in claim 17, further comprising instructions for causing the one or more processors to perform operations of:

recognizing, with the trained classifier, a neocortical replay associated with the first set of transcranial sensor electrical signals while a human subject is asleep; and

initiating therapy automatically, applying transcranial electro-stimulation corresponding to the desired electric field at the set of electrodes.

21. The computer program product as set forth in claim 17, further comprising instructions for causing the one or more processors to further perform an operation of applying transcranial electro-stimulation corresponding to the desired electric field at a set of electrodes when a human subject is awake.