IDENTIFYING AREAS OF THE BRAIN BY EXAMINING THE NEURONAL SIGNALS

• US 20130172716A1
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Functional Neuroscience Inc.
• Original Assignee: Andres M. Lozano, Tracy L. Cameron
• Inventors: Lozano, Andres M., Cameron, Tracy L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,849,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/378
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/374 Detecting the frequency distribution of signals, e.g. detecting delta, theta, alpha, beta or gamma waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4064 Evaluating the brain A61B5/031, A61B5/369, A61B5/14553 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4082 Diagnosing or monitoring movement diseases, e.g. Parkinson, Huntington or Tourette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6864 Burr holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of identifying a region of the brain by measuring neuronal firing and/or local field potentials by recording discharges from at least one implanted electrode and analyzing the recording of the discharges within the beta frequency band range to determine an area of beta oscillatory activity. Once the region of the brain is identified, this region may be stimulated to disrupt the beta oscillatory activity thereby treating a movement disorder.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a region of the brain comprising the steps of:

measuring neuronal firing and/or local field potentials by recording discharges from at least one implanted electrode; and

analyzing the recording of the discharges within the beta frequency band range to determine an area of beta oscillatory activity thereby identifying the region of the brain.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrode is implanted in the cortex, subthalamic nucleus, basal ganglia, or globus pallidus.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the discharges of neuronal firing and local field potentials are synchronized.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of stimulating the identified brain region to disrupt the discharges thereby treating a disease.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the disease is a movement disorder.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the movement disorder is Parkinson'"'"'s disease.

7. A method of improving at least one symptom in an individual suspected of having a movement disorder, comprising the steps of:

measuring neuronal firing and/or local field potentials by recording discharges from at least one electrode implanted in the subthalamic nucleus;

analyzing the recording of the discharges within the beta frequency band range to determine an area of synchronized beta oscillatory activity; and

stimulating the area to disrupt the beta oscillatory activity, thereby improving at least one symptom in the individual.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the movement disorder is selected from the group consisting of Parkinson'"'"'s disease,

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the movement disorder is Parkinson'"'"'s disease.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the symptom is selected from the group consisting of bradykinesia, tremors, rigidity, poor balance, gait and a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the subthalamic nucleus is the dorsal subthalamic nucleus.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising repeating the measuring and analyzing step, wherein if there is an area of synchronized beta oscillatory activity, the stimulating step is repeated.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising repeating the measuring and analyzing step, wherein if there is no area of synchronized beta oscillatory activity, the stimulating step is discontinued.

14. A method of improving at least one symptom in an individual having a movement disorder, comprising the step of stimulating the dorsal subthalamic nucleus (STN) in the individual.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the individual has Parkinson'"'"'s Disease.