Integrated system and method for treating disease using cognitive-training and brain stimulation and computerized magnetic photo-electric stimulator (CMPES)

• US 20080262565A1
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neuronix Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Neuronix Ltd.
• Inventors: Bentwich, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,498,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4088 Diagnosing of monitoring cognitive diseases, e.g. Alzheimer, prion diseases or dementia
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36025 for treating a mental or cerebral condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36092 Mental training
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/002 in combination with another treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/006 for magnetic stimulation of nerve tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/067 using laser light

Abstract

An integrated system and method for treatment of various diseases, including psychiatric, mental and brain disorders, which preferably combines personalized non-invasive neuronal brain stimulation together with appropriate personalized cognitive training, and which iteratively fine-tunes this treatment by monitoring specific cognitive and brain functions in response to the treatment. A novel brain stimulator device and method, Computerized Magnetic Photo-Electric Stimulator (CCMPES), is described, which integrates electromagnetic stimulation with laser stimulation to generate a magnetic photo-electric stimulation.

Claims

1. A medical device for treatment of Alzheimer'"'"'s disease comprising:

a non-invasive brain stimulator operative to selectively stimulate at least one region of a brain of a patient, which at least one region is functionally associated with at least one symptom of Alzheimer'"'"'s disease; and

a cognitive stimulator operative to provide cognitive stimuli relevant to said at least one symptom of Alzheimer'"'"'s diseases.

2. A medical device according to claim 1, comprising:

a brain activity analyzer operative to measure local brain function at said at least one region of said brain.

3. A medical device according to claim 1, comprising:

a cognitive assessment device operative to measure responses of said patient to said stimuli.

7. A medical device according to claim 1, wherein said non-invasive brain stimulator comprises at least one item selected from the group consisting of

an electromagnetic stimulator and

a laser stimulator.

9. A medical device according to claim 7, wherein said electromagnetic stimulator and said laser stimulator are operable in conjunction with one another to to induce a magnetic photo-electric stimulation which selectively stimulates said at least one region of said brain.

4. A method of therapy for Alzheimer'"'"'s disease, the method comprising:

stimulating at least one region of a brain of a patient, functionally associated with Alzheimer'"'"'s disease; and

providing at least one cognitive stimulus to said patient, said stimulus selected to elicit a response involving a patient function impaired by said Alzheimer'"'"'s disease.

5. A method according to claim 4 comprising:

measuring local brain function at said at least one region of said brain to produce a local measurement;

evaluating said local measurement relative to a normative value to produce an evaluation datum; and

adjusting at least one of said stimulating and said providing in response to said evaluation datum.

6. A method of therapy for a disease according to claim 4, comprising:

measuring said response to said stimulus to produce a cognition measurement; and

adjusting at least one of said stimulating and said providing in response to said cognition measurement.

8. A method according to claim 4, wherein said stimulating comprises at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

electromagnetically stimulating at least one region of a brain of a patient, which at least one region is associated with said disease; and

laser stimulating said at least one region of a brain of a patient by means of at least one laser beam.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein said electromagnetically stimulating and said laser stimulating are applied in conjunction with one another to cause a magnetic photo-electric stimulation.

11. A medical device for treatment of impaired cognitive function comprising:

a brain activity analyzer operative to measure local brain function at at least one region of a brain related to the impaired cognitive function and determine a deficiency value,

a non-invasive brain stimulator operative to selectively stimulate said at least one region of a brain of a patient,

a cognitive stimulator operative to provide cognitive stimuli relevant to said impaired cognitive function; and

a controller adapted to operate said non-invasive brain stimulator and said cognitive stimulator responsive to said deficiency value.

12. A medical device according to claim 11, comprising:

a cognitive assessment device operative to measure responses of said patient to said stimuli and output a cognition response datum.

13. A medical device according to claim 12, wherein said controller is responsive to said cognition response datum.

14. A method of therapy for impaired cognitive function, the method comprising:

stimulating at least one region of a brain of a patient functionally associated with impaired cognitive function without stimulating physically adjacent regions; and

providing at least one cognitive stimulus to said patient, said stimulus selected to elicit a response involving said impaired cognitive function.

15. A method according to claim 14 comprising:

measuring local brain function at said at least one region of said brain to produce a local measurement;

evaluating said local measurement relative to a normative value to produce an evaluation datum; and

adjusting at least one of said stimulating and said providing in response to said evaluation datum.

16. A method of therapy for a disease according to claim 14, comprising:

measuring said response to said stimulus to produce a cognition measurement; and

adjusting at least one of said stimulating and said providing in response to said cognition measurement.