Modulation of drug effects by vagus nerve stimulation
First Claim
1. A method of treating a patient undergoing pharmacotherapy with a selected drug for treatment of a medical disorder, the method comprising:
- administering the selected drug to said patient at a first time point to treat said medical disorder; and
applying a first electrical signal to a vagus nerve of the patient at a second time point, wherein said first electrical signal is selected so as to modulate at least one pharmacologic and/or pharmacokinetic property of the selected drug in the body of the patient, and wherein said second time point is selected from the group consisting of a selected time before said first time point, a selected time after said first time point, and a selected time in the patient'"'"'s circadian rhythm after said first time point.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of treating a patient undergoing pharmacotherapy with a selected drug for treatment of a medical disorder is provided which comprises: (a) administering the selected drug to said patient at a first time point, to treat the medical disorder; and (b) applying an electrical signal to a vagus nerve of the patient at a second time point, wherein the signal is selected so as to modulate at least one pharmacologic and/or pharmacokinetic property of the selected drug in the body of the patient. The vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) modulated drug therapy may be performed secondarily to, and in conjunction with, application of a primary VNS therapy to the patient for treatment of the same or a different medical disorder, to enhance treatment of the patient.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A method of treating a patient undergoing pharmacotherapy with a selected drug for treatment of a medical disorder, the method comprising:
-
administering the selected drug to said patient at a first time point to treat said medical disorder; and applying a first electrical signal to a vagus nerve of the patient at a second time point, wherein said first electrical signal is selected so as to modulate at least one pharmacologic and/or pharmacokinetic property of the selected drug in the body of the patient, and wherein said second time point is selected from the group consisting of a selected time before said first time point, a selected time after said first time point, and a selected time in the patient'"'"'s circadian rhythm after said first time point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method of enhancing treatment of a patient undergoing pharmacotherapy with a predetermined dosage of a selected drug for treatment of a medical disorder, the method comprising:
-
(a) administering a first predetermined dosage of said drug to the patient; (b) applying a first electrical signal to at least one site on a left or right vagus nerve of the patient, wherein said first electrical signal is selected so as to modulate at least one pharmacologic and/or pharmacokinetic property of the selected drug in the body of the patient; (c) determining from the resulting modulation of said at least one property an increase or decrease in the efficacy of said drug; and (d) decreasing the drug dosage to enhance treatment of said patient for said disorder if the resulting modulation increases the efficacy of said drug.
-
-
19. A method of enhancing treatment of a patient undergoing therapeutic vagus nerve stimulation for a medical disorder, comprising:
-
(a) applying a first electrical signal to a site on a vagus nerve of the patient, wherein said first electrical signal is selected so as to therapeutically treat said medical disorder; (b) administering a drug therapy to said patient for the same or a different medical disorder; and (c) applying a second electrical signal to a site on a vagus nerve to enhance said drug therapy. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification