Method of evaluating the efficacy of drug on brain nerve cells

• US 6,347,239 B1
• Filed: 11/13/1998
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Douglas L. Arnold, Kalra, Sanjay, Neil Cashman
• Original Assignee: Douglas L. Arnold, Kalra, Sanjay, Neil Cashman
• Inventors: Kalra, Sanjay, Cashman, Neil, Arnold, Douglas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAW, SHAWNA JEANNINE
• Application Number:
  US09/180,776
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 600/410, 600/309, 324/307, 324/309, 436/173
• US Class Current: 600/410
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4225 using image intensifiers

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method to measure in vivo the effect of a drug on the function of the nerve cells of the brain of a patient suffering from a neurological disease, which comprises the steps of: a) measuring NAA signal intensity using MRS of the brain of the patient; b) subjecting the patient to a treatment with the drug to be tested and measuring NAA signal intensity using MRS of the brain of the patient; and c) comparing the spectra of steps a) and b) to determine whether the drug has an effect on the function of the nerve cells of the brain; whereby the increase in the NAA signal of step b) is indicative of a drug with a positive effect.

Claims

1. A method to measure in vivo the effect of a drug on the function of the nerve cells of the brain of a patient suffering from a neurological disease, which comprises the steps of:

a) measuring N-acetylaspartate (NAA) signal intensity using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of the brain of the patient;

b) subjecting the patient to a treatment with the drug to be tested and measuring NAA signal intensity using MRS of the brain of the patient; and

c) comparing the spectra of steps a) and b) to determine whether the drug has an effect on the function of the nerve cells of the brain;

whereby the increase in the NAA signal of step b) is indicative of a drug with a positive effect.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the drug to be evaluated is selected from the group consisting of RILUZOLE™

(2-amino-6-trifluoromethoxy-benzothiazole), Gabapentin, zidovudine and sodium dichloroacetate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the neurologic disease is selected from the group consisting of strokes, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the neurodegenerative disease is Alzheimer'"'"'s disease.