METHOD OF TREATING PARKINSON'S DISEASE AND OTHER MOVEMENT DISORDERS

• US 20110184489A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duke University
• Original Assignee: Duke University
• Inventors: Nicolelis, Miguel A.L., Fuentes, Romulo A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,943,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36025 for treating a mental or cerebral condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3606 adapted for a particular treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36064 Epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36067 Movement disorders, e.g. tremor or Parkinson disease stimulating motor muscle A61N1/36003
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

The present invention relates, in general, to movement disorders and, in particular, to a method of treating movement disorders, including Parkinson'"'"'s Disease.

Claims

1. A method for disrupting pathological synchronous neural activity in the brain of a patient suffering from a movement or motor disease or disorder comprising:

stimulating a peripheral cranial nerve, dorsal sensory roots of spinal nerves or posterior funiculi of the spinal cord of said patient under conditions such that said neural activity is disrupted.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said disease or disorder is Parkinson'"'"'s Disease (PD), cortical or subcortical stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, essential tremor, Crutzfeldt-Jakob disease, multiple sclerosis, ataxia, dystonia or dyskinesia.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said disease or disorder is PD.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said stimulation is electrical stimulation.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein said electrical stimulation is delivered by an implanted peripheral nerve cuff electrode.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said stimulation disrupts pathological synchronous activity in the motor cortex or basal ganglia of said patient.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein an infraorbital nerve is stimulated.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein posterior funiculi are stimulated.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein said stimulation is delivered with electrodes positioned epidurally above the dorsal column of said patient.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein a trigeminal nerve is stimulated.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein said trigeminal nerve is stimulated transcutaneously.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein said stimulation comprises biphasic square constant current pulses.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein said patient is a PD patient and said stimulation is electrical stimulation of the dosal column of said patient, and wherein said stimulation is delivered via epidural implanted bipolar electrodes.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein said patient is receiving dopamine.

15. A method of restoring locomotive activity in a patient suffering from Parkinson'"'"'s disease comprising delivering epidural electrical stimulation to the dorsal column of the spinal cord of said patient under conditions such that said locomotive activity is restored.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein said stimulation modulates corticostrictal activity.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein said patient is receiving dopamine.