Treatment of dementia by nerve stimulation
First Claim
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1. A method of treating patients with dementia, which comprises the steps of:
- selecting a patient suffering from dementia, andapplying a stimulating signal with predetermined electrical parameters to the patient'"'"'s vagus nerve to selectively modulate the electrical activity of preselected afferent fibers of the vagus nerve distributed to the reticular activating system in the patient'"'"'s brain stem and thereby modulate the electrical activity of preselected portions of the reticular activating system of the patient, to relieve a symptom of the dementia.
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Abstract
A method of treating symptoms of dementia, including cortical dementia, subcortical dementia, and multi-infarct dementia, includes selecting a patient suffering from dementia, and applying to the patient'"'"'s vagus nerve an electrical stimulation signal having parameter values selected to modulate the electrical activity of the vagus nerve in a manner to modulate the activity of preselected portions of the reticular activating system of the brain stem.
710 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of treating patients with dementia, which comprises the steps of:
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selecting a patient suffering from dementia, and applying a stimulating signal with predetermined electrical parameters to the patient'"'"'s vagus nerve to selectively modulate the electrical activity of preselected afferent fibers of the vagus nerve distributed to the reticular activating system in the patient'"'"'s brain stem and thereby modulate the electrical activity of preselected portions of the reticular activating system of the patient, to relieve a symptom of the dementia. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for treating and controlling symptoms of dementia in a patient, which comprises the steps of:
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selecting a patient suffering from dementia, implanting an electrode on the patient'"'"'s vagus nerve for application of an electrical signal having predetermined electrical parameter values to the vagus nerve, and delivering the electrical signal to the implanted electrode to selectively modulate the electrical activity of the vagus nerve and thereby treat a symptom of the dementia exhibited by the patient. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of controlling the function of a neurostimulator device adapted to be implanted in a human patient suffering from symptoms of dementia, including the steps of:
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selecting electrical parameters including pulse amplitude, pulse width and on and off times of the electrical output signal of a pulse generator of the neurostimulator device to develop an electrical signal for application to a lead/electrode assembly implanted on the vagus nerve of the patient to treat the patient'"'"'s dementia by predetermined modulation of the electrical activity of the vagus nerve, and programming the pulse generator after implantation to set the selected parameters of its electrical output signal for treatment of the dementia when applied to the implanted lead/electrode assembly.
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15. A method for use in advancing the treatment and control of symptoms of dementia in a human patient, characterized by the steps of:
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providing a lead assembly including an electrical lead having a proximal and a distal end with a stimulating electrode connected at its distal end, for implantation on the vagus nerve of a patient suffering from dementia, providing a programmable stimulus generator for generating electrical pulse sequences with selectively variable electrical parameters for selective application to the lead assembly when said stimulating electrode is implanted on the vagus nerve, incorporating an electrical connector in the stimulus generator to accommodate electrical connection of the proximal end of said electrical lead to the stimulus generators, restricting programmable ranges of said variables electrical parameters of the electrical pulse sequences to values which in combination will stimulate the vagus nerve and thereby modulate its electrical activity and the electrical activity of preselected portions of the reticular activating system of the patient'"'"'s brain stem when one or more programmed pulse sequences are applied to the vagus nerve via the lead assembly, to vary the electrical activity of the reticular activating system in a predetermined manner according to the nature of the dementia to be treated, adapting the stimulus generator for restriction of the programming of the electrical parameters of the electrical pulse sequences to physician control, and supplying the stimulus generator and lead assembly for the treatment and control of symptoms of dementia. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification