Method and apparatus for assessing susceptibility to stroke

• US 6,466,816 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2001
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Lynch, Gary, Granger, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Nasser, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US09/907,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20020016552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 600/544, 600/545, 600/547
• US Class Current: 600/544
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/372 Analysis of electroencephalograms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4076 Diagnosing or monitoring particular conditions of the nervous system A61B5/4821, A61B5/4824 take precedence

Abstract

A method is described for facilitating assessment of susceptibility to stroke. Electrical signals are collected from the brain of a patient under assessment. Data corresponding to the signals is then compared to a standard. The standard may represent a neural electrical signal taken from a person known to be susceptible to stroke. A positive comparison suggests susceptibility of the patient to stroke. The comparison can be used to characterize neural blood flow and the degree of susceptibility. This can be used in determining the need for additional testing and/or appropriate therapy. This information can also be used in categorizing the patient to determine enrollment in clinical trials. Alternatively, the standard represents a neural signal taken at an earlier time from the patient under assessment. A positive comparison suggests that the condition of the patient is unchanged. A negative comparison suggests that the neural activity of the patient has changed, implying changes in neural blood flow. This can suggest susceptibility.

Claims

1. A method of collecting and processing information for determination of the susceptibility of a patient under assessment to suffering a stroke, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) collecting electrical signals from the brain of the patient under assessment;

(b) comparing signal data corresponding to the collected electrical signals to at least one standard to produce comparison results, wherein the signal data is derived from the collected electrical signals; and

(c) interpreting the comparison results.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (a) comprises the step of collecting at least one electroencephalograph (EEG).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (a) comprises the steps of:

(i) performing at least one evoked response potential (ERP) trial on the patient under assessment; and

(ii) capturing the electrical signals that result from the at least one ERP trial.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(d) processing the collected electrical signals to derive signal data for subsequent comparison to the at least one standard;

performed after step (a) and before step (b).

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step (d) comprises the step of performing noise reduction on the collected electrical signals.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said step (d) comprises the step of performing feature extraction on the collected electrical signals.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said step (d) comprises the step of generating a plurality of projections of the collected electrical signals.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (b) comprises the step of comparing the signal data corresponding to the collected electrical signals to at least one standard, wherein the at least one standard comprises signal data from a patient known to be susceptible to stroke.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (b) comprises the step of comparing signal data corresponding to the collected electrical signals to at least one standard, wherein the at least one standard comprises signal data derived from electrical signals that were collected at an earlier time from the patient under assessment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (b) comprises the step of comparing signal data corresponding to the collected electrical signals to at least one standard using statistical processing.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (b) comprises the step of comparing signal data corresponding to the collected electrical signals to at least one standard using image analysis.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (c) comprises the step of determining whether the patient under assessment is susceptible to suffering a stroke.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (c) comprises the step of determining a degree of susceptibility of the patient under assessment to suffering a stroke.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (c) comprises the step of characterizing a pattern of neural blood flow in the patient under assessment.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (c) comprises the step of categorizing the patient under assessment for purposes of enrollment in clinical trials, on the basis of the comparison results.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (c) comprises the step of categorizing the patient under assessment for purposes of suggesting a type of therapeutic treatment on the basis of the comparison results.