Method of Treatment

• US 20120276506A1
• Filed: 04/24/2012
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nagai, Yoko
• Original Assignee: Nagai, Yoko
• Inventors: Nagai, Yoko
• Application Number:
  US13/454,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20120276506A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/238
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine

Abstract

This invention relates to the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders in sufferers thereof. Neuropsychiatric disorders are shown to be treatable using a biofeedback method in which sympathetic activity in the patient is enhanced.

Claims

1. A method of treating a sufferer of a neuropsychiatric disorder by way of biofeedback training, said training comprising a series of training sessions, in each of which the sympathetic nervous activity of the sufferer is monitored, the sufferer observes a presentation which is a function of their sympathetic nervous activity and the sufferer influences the presentation in a way which corresponds to an increase in sympathetic nervous activity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sympathetic activity of the sufferer is monitored by monitoring their galvanic skin response, wherein the sufferer observes a presentation which is a function of their galvanic skin response and wherein the sufferer influences the presentation in a way which corresponds to a decrease in skin resistance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the neuropsychiatric disorder is selected from the group consisting of attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), mood disorders and an anxiety disorders.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the neuropsychiatric disorder is ADHD.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the mood disorder is depression.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the depression is major depressive disorder.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the anxiety disorder is selected from the group consisting of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, phobias, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and separation anxiety.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the anxiety disorder is generalized anxiety disorder.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sufferer suffers from both depression and an anxiety disorder and wherein said method treats both disorders.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the presentation is in the form of a visual image provided on a display screen.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the presentation is a computer generated presentation.

12. The method of any of claim 1, wherein the presentation is an auditory presentation.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the presentation is an animation provided on a display screen.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the attention level of the sufferer is increased.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein attention level is measured by Digit Span score.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the training sessions are between 10 and 20 in number, spaced over a period of 10 to 60 days and each session lasting between 10 and 40 minutes.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the training sessions are 10 to 15 in number, spaced over a period of 30 days and each session lasting between 10 and 40 minutes.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the sympathetic nervous activity is monitored using a biofeedback apparatus comprising an arrangement for monitoring a physiological parameter of the sufferer, the parameter being a heart rate of the sufferer, the blood pressure of the sufferer, the pupil dilation of the suffer, or the galvanic skin response of the sufferer.

19. The method of claim 2 wherein the galvanic skin response is monitored using an apparatus comprising a pair of electrodes which may be applied spaced apart to the skin, and an arrangement for measuring the resistance between the two electrodes.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the sympathetic nervous activity of the sufferer is monitored using a biofeedback apparatus, the apparatus being arranged to use the results of the monitoring to provide the presentation.