Method of treating cognitive disorders using neuromodulation

• US 20060212090A1
• Filed: 03/01/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Functional Neuromodulation, Inc. (Functional Neuromodulation, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Functional Neuroscience Inc.
• Inventors: Lozano, Andres M., Mayberg, Helen S.
• Application Number:
  US11/364,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212090A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

The present invention involves a method and a system for using electrical stimulation and/or chemical stimulation to treat a cognitive impairment and/or disorder. More particularly, the method comprises surgically implanting an electrode and/or catheter that is in communication with a predetermined site which is coupled to a pulse generating source and/or infusion pump that release either an electrical signal and/or a pharmaceutical resulting in stimulation of the predetermined site thereby treating the cognitive disorder and/or enhancing the cognitive ability.

Claims

1. A method of treating a cognitive impairment and/or disorder comprising the steps of:

surgically implanting an electrode in communication with a predetermined area;

coupling the electrode to a pulse generating source; and

generating an electrical signal with the pulse generating source wherein said signal electrically stimulates the area thereby treating the cognitive impairment and/or disorder.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

surgically implanting a catheter having a proximal end coupled to a pump and a discharge portion for infusing a dosage of a pharmaceutical, wherein after implantation the discharge portion of the catheter is in communication with the area; and

operating the pump to discharge the pharmaceutical through the discharge portion of the catheter into the area thereby treating the cognitive impairment and/or disorder.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined site is selected from the group consisting of subcallosal area, subsingular cingulate, orbital frontal cortex, anterior insula, medial frontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal area, posterior cingulate area, premotor cortex, parietal region, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, caudate, anterior thalamus, nucleus accumbens;

periaqueductal gray area, and brainstem.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cognitive disorder is selected from the group consisting of learning acquisition, memory consolidation, and retrieval.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cognitive disorder is associated with a disorder from the group consisting of Alzheimer'"'"'s disease, Parkinson'"'"'s disease, Creutzfeld-Jacob disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dementia and stroke.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the pharmaceutical is selected from the group consisting of an inhibitory neurotransmitter agonist, an excitatory neurotransmitter antagonist, an agent that increases the level of an inhibitory neurotransmitter, an agent that decrease the level of an excitatory neurotransmitter, and a local anesthetic agent.

7. A method of treating a cognitive impairment and/or disorder comprising the steps of:

surgically implanting an electrode in communication with a predetermined area;

surgically implanting a catheter having a proximal end coupled to a pump and a discharge portion for infusing a dosage of a pharmaceutical, wherein after implantation the discharge portion of the catheter is in communication with the area; and

coupling the proximal end of the lead to a pulse generating source;

generating an electrical signal with the pulse generating source wherein said signal electrically stimulates the area; and

operating the pump to discharge the pharmaceutical through the discharge portion of the catheter into the area thereby treating the cognitive impairment and/or disorder.