Method of treating psychological disorders by brain stimulation within the thalamus
First Claim
1. A method of therapeutically treating a psychological disorder by means of an implanted electrode coupled to an electrical signal source comprising the steps of:
- surgically implanting said electrode in a brain of a patient so that a distal end thereof lies in communication with a predetermined treatment site in the thalamus of the brain, said predetermined site being selected from the group consisting of the anterior and intralaminar nuclei;
coupling a proximal end of said electrode to said electrical signal source; and
operating said electrical signal source to stimulate said predetermined treatment site in the thalamus of the brain, whereby the effects of psychological disorder are reduced.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for treating psychological disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder, Tourette'"'"'s syndrome, depression, bipolar disorder, panic attacks, schizophrenia, and attention deficit disorder by stimulation of the thalamus, and in particular regions within the anterior and intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus. The method includes the steps of determining a common group of patients, each suffering from a common specific diagnosis for a psychological disorder; determining which common region of the patients'"'"' thalami are involved in carrying the pathological electrical signals which may otherwise be generated in dissimilar and disparate regions of the brains of the patients; surgically implanting an electrode and electrical signal generating device such that the electrode is positioned within the region of the thalamus identified as the common nexus; and selectively adjusting the level of electrical stimulation in accordance with the specific effect of the stimulation of the patient. In particular, the regions of the thalamus most frequently associated with psychological disorders are the anterior and intralaminar nuclei.
439 Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A method of therapeutically treating a psychological disorder by means of an implanted electrode coupled to an electrical signal source comprising the steps of:
-
surgically implanting said electrode in a brain of a patient so that a distal end thereof lies in communication with a predetermined treatment site in the thalamus of the brain, said predetermined site being selected from the group consisting of the anterior and intralaminar nuclei; coupling a proximal end of said electrode to said electrical signal source; and operating said electrical signal source to stimulate said predetermined treatment site in the thalamus of the brain, whereby the effects of psychological disorder are reduced. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of therapeutically treating a psychological disorder by means of an implanted electrode coupled to an electrical signal source comprising the steps of:
-
identifying a specific psychological disorder exhibited by a patient; surgically implanting said electrode in the brain of said patient so that a distal end thereof lies in communication with a predetermined treatment site in the thalamus of the brain, which predetermined treatment site is in correspondence with the common site exhibiting pathological electrical activity across a large sampling of patients exhibiting said specific psychological disorder, said predetermined site being selected from the group consisting of the the anterior and intralaminar nuclei; coupling a proximal end of said electrode to said electrical signal source; and operating said electrical signal source to stimulate said predetermined treatment site in the thalamus of the brain, whereby the effects of psychological disorder are reduced. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A method of determining the proper therapeutic treatment for, and subsequently treating a specific psychological disorder by means of an implanted electrode coupled to an electrical signal source comprising the steps of:
-
identifying a large sampling of patients, each exhibiting a common specific psychological disorder; identifying which common region of the thalamus exhibits pathological electrical activity during manifestations of the specific psychological disorder, said common region thereafter constituting a predetermined treatment site; surgically implanting said electrode in the brain of each of said patients so that a distal end thereof lies in communication with the predetermined treatment site in the thalamus of the brain, said predetermined site being selected from the group consisting of the anterior and intralaminar nuclei; coupling a proximal end of said electrode to said electrical signal source; and operating said electrical signal source to stimulate said predetermined treatment site in the thalamus of the brain, whereby the effects of psychological disorder are reduced. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A method of determining the proper therapeutic treatment for a specific psychological disorder comprising the steps of:
-
identifying a large sampling of patients, each exhibiting a common specific psychological disorder; and identifying which common region of the thalamus exhibits pathological electrical activity during manifestations of the specific psychological disorder, said common region thereafter constituting a predetermined treatment site, whereafter a suitable means for affecting the activity of said predetermined treatment site may be employed. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
-
Specification