Modulation of the pain circuitry to affect chronic pain
First Claim
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1. A method of affecting chronic pain in a patient comprising:
- a) implanting a stimulator in a target site of the brain; and
b) providing a stimulation signal to the stimulator to stimulate the target site to affect chronic pain, the target site selected from the group consisting of the pre-frontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior limb of the internal capsule, insular cortex, primary somatosensory cortex, secondary somatosensory cortex, cingulate cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and posterior cingulate cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus,parahippocampal gyrus, precuneus, amygdala, and hippocampus.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to methods of affecting chronic pain by electrically and/or chemically stimulating target sites of the pain circuitry associated with chronic pain. Such target sites include cerebral target sites, including limbic structures, associated with the emotional and suffering components of chronic pain, as well as deep brain target sites associated with the affective and sensory components of chronic pain. Also provided is a method of affecting chronic pain by stimulating a target site of the pain circuitry associated with chronic pain to stimulate the synthesis or release of endogenous opioids.
103 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method of affecting chronic pain in a patient comprising:
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a) implanting a stimulator in a target site of the brain; and
b) providing a stimulation signal to the stimulator to stimulate the target site to affect chronic pain, the target site selected from the group consisting of the pre-frontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior limb of the internal capsule, insular cortex, primary somatosensory cortex, secondary somatosensory cortex, cingulate cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and posterior cingulate cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus,parahippocampal gyrus, precuneus, amygdala, and hippocampus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of affecting chronic pain in a patient comprising:
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a) implanting a stimulator in a target site of the brain; and
b) providing a stimulation signal to the stimulator to stimulate the target site, the target site selected from the group consisting of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus, intralaminar thalamic nuclei, dorsomedial nucleus of the thalamus, mammillary body, lateral hypothalamus, locus coeruleus, dorsal raphe nucleus, substantia nigra pars compacta, substantia nigral pars reticulata, superior colliculus, tegmentum, ventral tegmentum, tectum, medial thalamus, nucleus accumbens, ventral striatum, and ventral pallidum. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of affecting chronic pain comprising:
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a) implanting a stimulator in communication with a pain circuitry target site; and
b) providing a stimulation signal to the stimulator to stimulate the synthesis or release of an endogenous opioid to affect chronic pain.
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38. A method of affecting chronic pain comprising:
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a) implanting a stimulator in communication with a pain circuitry target site;
b) detecting a bodily activity of the body associated with the chronic pain;
c) providing a stimulation signal to the stimulator in response to the detected bodily activity; and
d) stimulating the target site to affect the hypothalamic-related condition
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39. Use of a stimulator adapted to be implanted in a target site and provided with a stimulation signal to stimulate the target site to affect chronic pain, wherein the target site is selected from the group consisting of pre-frontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior limb of the internal capsule, insular cortex, primary somatosensory cortex, secondary somatosensory cortex, cingulate cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and posterior cingulate cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, precuneus, amygdala, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, ventral striatum, ventral pallidum, anterior nucleus of the thalamus, intralaminar thalamic nuclei, dorsomedial nucleus of the thalamus, mammillary body, lateral hypothalamus, locus coeruleus, dorsal raphe nucleus, substantia nigra pars compacta, substantia nigral pars reticulata, superior colliculus, tegmentum, ventral tegmentum, tectum, and medial thalamus.
Specification