NEUROMODULATION OF DEEP-BRAIN TARGETS USING FOCUSED ULTRASOUND

• US 20110112394A1
• Filed: 11/05/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David J. Mishelevich
• Original Assignee: David J. Mishelevich
• Inventors: Mishelevich, David J.
• Application Number:
  US12/940,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20110112394A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/411
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation
• 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 2/002 in combination with another treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/006 for magnetic stimulation of nerve tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0026 Stimulation of nerve tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0078 with multiple treatment transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and systems for non-invasive deep brain or superficial neuromodulation for up-regulation or down-regulation using ultrasound impacting one or multiple points in a neural circuit to produce Long-Term Potentiation (LTP) or Long-Term Depression (LTD) to treat indications such as neurologic and psychiatric conditions. Ultrasound transducers are positioned by spinning them around the head on a track, as well as individually rotated or not, with control of direction of the energy emission, intensity, frequency, and phase/intensity relationships to targeting and accomplishing up-regulation and/or down-regulation. Alternatively the ultrasound transducers may be at fixed locations on the track. Use of ancillary monitoring or imaging to provide is optional.

Claims

1. A method of neuromodulating one or a plurality of deep-brain targets using ultrasound stimulation, the method comprising:

aiming one or a plurality of ultrasound transducers at one or a plurality of deep-brain targets,

applying power to each of the ultrasound transducers via a control circuit thereby neuromodulating the activity of the deep brain target region,

moving one or a plurality of transducers around a track surrounding the mammal'"'"'s head.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a deep-brain target.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising where neuromodulation of a plurality of targets is selected from the group consisting of up-regulating all neuronal targets, down-regulating all neuronal targets, up-regulating one or a plurality of neuronal targets and down-regulating the other targets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of aiming comprising orienting the ultrasound transducer and focusing the ultrasound so that it hits the target.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the acoustic ultrasound frequency is in the range of 0.3 MHz to 0.8 MHz.

6. The method of claim 1, where in the power applied is selected from group consisting of less than 180 mW/cm² and greater than 180 mW/cm² but less than that causing tissue damage.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a stimulation frequency of 300 Hz or lower is applied for inhibition of neural activity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the stimulation frequency is in the range of 500 Hz to 5 MHz for excitation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the focus area of the pulsed ultrasound is selected from the group consisting of 0.5 to 500 mm in diameter and 500 to 1500 mm in diameter.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of ultrasound transducers is between 1 and 25.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a disorder is treated by neuromodulation, wherein the target brain regions are selected from the group consisting of NeoCortex, any of the subregions of the Pre-Frontal Cortex, Orbito-Frontal Cortex (OFC), Cingulate Genu, subregions of the Cingulate Gyrus, Insula, Amygdala, subregions of the Internal Capsule, Nucleus Accumbens, Hippocampus, Temporal Lobes, Globus Pallidus, subregions of the Thalamus, subregions of the Hypothalamus, Cerebellum, Brainstem, Pons, or any of the tracts between the brain targets.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the disorder treated is selected from the group consisting of:

addiction, Alzheimer'"'"'s Disease, Anorgasmia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Huntington'"'"'s Chorea, Impulse Control Disorder, autism, OCD, Social Anxiety Disorder, Parkinson'"'"'s Disease, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, pain, insomnia, spinal cord injuries, neuromuscular disorders, tinnitus, panic disorder, Tourette'"'"'s Syndrome, amelioration of brain cancers, dystonia, obesity, stuttering, ticks, head trauma, stroke, and epilepsy.

13. The method of claim 1 where the ultrasound is applied for the purpose selected from the group consisting of:

cognitive enhancement, hedonic stimulation, enhancement of neural plasticity, improvement in wakefulness, brain mapping, diagnostic applications, and other research functions.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein mechanical perturbations are applied radially or axially to move the ultrasound transducers.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a feedback mechanism is applied, wherein the feedback mechanism is selected from the group consisting of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Positive Emission Tomography (PET) imaging, video-electroencephalogram (V-EEG), acoustic monitoring, thermal monitoring, patient.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein ultrasound therapy is combined with one or more therapies selected from the group consisting of Radio-Frequency (RF) therapy, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) using implanted electrodes.

17. The method of claim 1 in which one or a plurality of ultrasound transducers moving around a track surrounding the mammal'"'"'s had are rotated as they go around the track to maintain focus for a longer period of time.

18. The method of claim 1 where the position of one or a plurality of ultrasound transducers are mounted on the track surrounding the mammal'"'"'s head in a fixed position.

19. The method of claim 1 for neuromodulating a plurality of deep-brain targets using ultrasound stimulation where there are contradictory effects relative to clinical indications, the method comprising:

a. identifying other targets in the neural circuits that impact those clinical indications that are not in common, and

b. up-regulating or down-regulating one or a plurality of those targets, whereby the contradictory effects are minimized.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein ultrasound therapy is replaced with one or more therapies selected from the group consisting of Radio-Frequency (RF) therapy, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) using implanted electrodes.