Methods for treating essential tremor
First Claim
1. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
- directing a patient to perform a muscle action;
directing information to be collected, the information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action; and
at least reducing an essential tremor motion of the patient by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to a stimulation site, the location of the stimulation site being based at least in part on the information.
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Abstract
Methods for treating essential tremor are disclosed. A method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes directing a patient to perform a muscle action, for example, a postural or kinetic muscle action. The method can further include directing information to be collected, with the information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action. The essential tremor motion of the patient can then be at least reduced by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to a stimulation site, with the location of the stimulation site being based at least in part on the collected information. The information can include visual images, such as are generated by MRI, fMRI, or CT techniques, or the information can be non-visual. In particular embodiments, the location of the stimulation site can be determined by comparing two pieces of information, for example, neural activities before and after drug intake, or neural activities at the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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directing a patient to perform a muscle action;
directing information to be collected, the information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action; and
at least reducing an essential tremor motion of the patient by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to a stimulation site, the location of the stimulation site being based at least in part on the information. - 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 for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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identifying a muscle action subject to essential tremor;
monitoring a first image of the patient'"'"'s brain function while the patient is not performing the muscle action;
monitoring a second image of the patient'"'"'s brain function while the patient performs the muscle action;
comparing the first and second images to identify a stimulation site of the brain;
placing at least one electrode at least proximate to the stimulation site;
at least reducing the patient'"'"'s essential tremor motion by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to the stimulation site.
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20-50. -50. (canceled)
Specification