Treatment of Huntington's disease by brain stimulation

• US 20040225335A1
• Filed: 05/05/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Whitehurst, Todd K., Pianca, Anne M.
• Application Number:
  US10/839,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20040225335A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Introducing one or more stimulating drugs to the brain and/or applying electrical stimulation to the brain is used to treat Huntington'"'"'s disease. At least one implantable system control unit (SCU) produces electrical pulses delivered via electrodes implanted in the brain and/or drug infusion pulses delivered via a catheter implanted in the brain. The stimulation is delivered to targeted brain structures to adjust the activity of those structures. In some embodiments, one or more sensed conditions are used to adjust stimulation parameters.

Claims

1. A method of treating a patient with Huntington'"'"'s disease, comprising:

implanting at least one system control unit entirely within the brain of the patient;

wherein the at least one unit controls the delivery of at least one stimulus to at least one area of the brain affecting Huntington'"'"'s disease; and

wherein the at least one system control unit is a microstimulator implanted entirely within the brain; and

applying the at least one stimulus to change neural activity of the at least one area of the brain in order to at least in part alleviate or prevent the disorder in the patient being treated; and

wherein the at least one are of the brain is at least one of the subthalamic nucleus (STN), internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi), substantia nigra pars compacta (Snc), zona incerta, ventrolateral thalamus, and external segment of the globus pallidus (GPe).

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the system control unit is connected to at least one electrode, and wherein the stimulus comprises electrical stimulation delivered via the at least one electrode.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the system control unit is connected to at least one infusion outlet, and wherein the stimulus comprises stimulation via one or more drugs delivered through the at least one outlet.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the system control unit is connected to at least one electrode and to at least one infusion outlet, and wherein the stimulus comprises both electrical stimulation delivered via the at least one electrode and stimulation via one or more drugs delivered through the at least one outlet.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising sensing at least one condition and using the at least one sensed condition to automatically determine the stimulus to apply.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the at least one sensed condition is at least one of head acceleration, limb acceleration, electrical activity of the brain, nerve activity, muscle activity, discharge frequency of a neural population, impedance, a neurotransmitter level, change in a neurotransmitter level, a neurotransmitter breakdown product level, change in a neurotransmitter breakdown product level, a hormone level, change in a hormone level, a ketone level, change in a ketone level, an interleukin level, change in an interleukin level, a cytokine level, change in a cytokine level, a lymphokine level, change in a lymphokine level, a chemokine level, change in a chemokine level, a growth factor level, change in a growth factor level, an electrolyte level, change in an electrolyte level, an enzyme level, change in an enzyme level, a medication level, change in a medication level, a drug level, change in a drug level, pH level, change in pH level, level of a bloodborne substance, and change in level of a bloodborne substance.

7. A method of treating a patient with Huntington'"'"'s disease, comprising:

providing at least one system control unit that generates stimulating pulses in accordance with prescribed parameters, which stimulating pulses are at least one of infusion pulses and electrical stimulation pulses;

providing, connected to the at least one system control unit, at least one catheter with at least one discharge portion or at least one lead with at least one electrode;

implanting at least one of the at least one discharge portion and the at least one electrode adjacent to at least one brain structure affecting Huntington'"'"'s disease;

implanting at least one system control unit in the patient, wherein the at least one unit controls the delivery of the stimulating pulses applied to the at least one brain structure to be stimulated;

tunneling at least one of the at least one catheter and the at least one lead between the at least one brain structure and the system control unit location;

applying the stimulating pulses to increase activity of the at least one brain structure in order to at least in part alleviate or prevent the disorder in the patient being treated; and

wherein the at least one brain structure is at least one of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi).

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the stimulating pulses are at least relatively low-frequency electrical pulses applied at less than about 100-150 Hz.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the stimulating pulses are at least infusion pulses of at least one of an excitatory cortical neurotransmitter, an excitatory cortical neurotransmitter agonist, an inhibitory neurotransmitter antagonist, an agent that increases the level of an excitatory neurotransmitter, and an agent that decreases the level of an inhibitory neurotransmitter.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising sensing at least one condition and using the at least one sensed condition to automatically determine the stimulating pulses to apply.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one sensed condition is at least one of head acceleration, limb acceleration, electrical activity of the brain, nerve activity, muscle activity, discharge frequency of a neural population, impedance, a neurotransmitter level, change in a neurotransmitter level, a neurotransmitter breakdown product level, change in a neurotransmitter breakdown product level, hormone level, change in a hormone level, a ketone level, change in a ketone level, an interleukin level, change in an interleukin level, a cytokine level, change in a cytokine level, a lymphokine level, change in a lymphokine level, a chemokine level, change in a chemokine level, a growth factor level, change in a growth factor level, an electrolyte level, change in an electrolyte level, an enzyme level, change in an enzyme level, a medication level, change in a medication level, a drug level, change in a drug level, pH level, change in pH level, level of a bloodborne substance, and change in level of a bloodborne substance.

12. A method of treating a patient with Huntington'"'"'s disease, comprising:

providing at least one system control unit that generates stimulating pulses in accordance with prescribed parameters, which stimulating pulses are at least one of infusion pulses and electrical stimulation pulses;

providing, connected to the at least one system control unit, at least one catheter with at least one discharge portion or at least one lead with at least one electrode;

implanting at least one of the at least one discharge portion and the at least one electrode adjacent to at least one brain structure affecting Huntington'"'"'s disease;

implanting at least one system control unit in the patient, wherein the at least one unit controls the delivery of the stimulating pulses applied to the at least one brain structure to be stimulated;

tunneling at least one of the at least one catheter and the at least one lead between the at least one brain structure and the system control unit location;

applying the stimulating pulses to decrease activity of the at least one brain structure in order to at least in part alleviate or prevent the disorder in the patient being treated; and

wherein the at least one brain structure is at least one of the substantia nigra pars compacta (Snc), zona incerta, ventrolateral thalamus, and external segment of the globus pallidus (GPe).

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the stimulating pulses are at least relatively high-frequency electrical pulses applied at greater than about 100-150 Hz.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the stimulating pulses are at least infusion pulses of at least one of an inhibitory neurotransmitter, an inhibitory neurotransmitter agonist, an excitatory neurotransmitter antagonist, an agent that increases the level of an inhibitory neurotransmitter, an agent that decreases the level of an excitatory neurotransmitter, a local anesthetic agent, and an analgesic medication.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising sensing at least one condition and using the at least one sensed condition to automatically determine the stimulating pulses to apply.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one sensed condition is at least one of head acceleration, limb acceleration, electrical activity of the brain, nerve activity, muscle activity, discharge frequency of a neural population, impedance, a neurotransmitter level, change in a neurotransmitter level, a neurotransmitter breakdown product level, change in a neurotransmitter breakdown product level, a hormone level, change in a hormone level, a ketone level, change in a ketone level, an interleukin level, change in an interleukin level, a cytokine level, change in a cytokine level, a lymphokine level, change in a lymphokine level, a chemokine level, change in a chemokine level, a growth factor level, change in a growth factor level, an electrolyte level, change in an electrolyte level, an enzyme level, change in an enzyme level, a medication level, change in a medication level, a drug level, change in a drug level, pH level, change in pH level, level of a bloodborne substance, and change in level of a bloodborne substance.