Methods for Treating and/or Collecting Information Regarding Neurological Disorders, Including Language Disorders

• US 20080146959A1
• Filed: 11/05/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Northstar Neuroscience, Inc.
• Inventors: Pascual-Leone, Alvaro, Sheffield, Warren Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 8,050,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/544
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Methods for treating and/or collecting information regarding neurological disorders, including language disorders, are disclosed. A method in accordance with one embodiment directing a patient to perform a language-based task, 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 language-based task, and, based at least in part on the information, selecting a stimulation site within the patient'"'"'s skull for receiving an electrode coupleable to an electrical current. In further embodiments, at least one electrode can be placed at the stimulation site, and the patient'"'"'s language disorder can be reduced by applying electrical stimulation directly to the stimulation site via the at least one electrode.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a stimulation site in a language-disorder patient, comprising:

directing a patient to perform a language-based task;

directing information to be collected, the information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the language-based task; and

based at least in part on the information, selecting a stimulation site within the patient'"'"'s skull for receiving an electrode coupleable to an electrical current.

2-71. -71. (canceled)