Methods for treating essential tremor
First Claim
1. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
- directing a patient to perform a muscle action;
directing information to be collected, the information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action; and
eliminating an essential tremor motion of the patient by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to a stimulation site, the location of the stimulation site being based at least in part on the information.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for treating essential tremor includes directing a patient to perform a muscle action, for example a postural or kinetic muscle action. The method can further include collecting information, with the information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action. The essential tremor motion of the patient can then be at least reduced by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to a stimulation site, with the location of the stimulation site being based at least in part on the collected information. The information can include visual images (e.g. MRI, fMRI, or CT techniques) or be non-visual. In particular embodiments, the location of the stimulation site can be determined by comparing two pieces of information, for example, neural activities before and after drug intake, or neural activities at the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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directing a patient to perform a muscle action;
directing information to be collected, the information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action; and
eliminating an essential tremor motion of the patient by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to a stimulation site, the location of the stimulation site being based at least in part on the information.
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2. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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directing a patient to perform a muscle action;
directing a computer-based routine to collect information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action; and
at least reducing an essential tremor motion of the patient by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to a stimulation site, the location of the stimulation site being based at least in part on the information.
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3. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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directing a patient to perform a muscle action;
directing information to be collected on blood oxygen levels in the brain, the information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action; and
at least reducing an essential tremor motion of the patient by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to a stimulation site, the location of the stimulation site being based at least in part on the information.
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4. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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directing a patient to perform a muscle action;
directing information to be collected, the information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action;
locating a stimulation site based at least in part on the information and positioned relative to an anatomical feature of the patient; and
at least reducing an essential tremor motion of the patient by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to the stimulation site.
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5. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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directing a patient to perform a muscle action;
directing information to be collected, the information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action;
locating a stimulation site based at least in part on the information relative to a fiducial having a fixed location relative to the patient'"'"'s skull; and
at least reducing an essential tremor motion of the patient by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to the stimulation site.
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6. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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directing a patient to perform a muscle action a first time;
directing first information to be collected, the first information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action the first time;
affecting the patient'"'"'s motor nerves by introducing a drug into the patient'"'"'s body;
directing second information to be collected while the patient performs the muscle action a second time and while the patient is under the influence of the drug;
directing a comparison of the first information with the second information to identify a stimulation site of the brain; and
at least reducing an essential tremor motion of the patient by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to the stimulation site.
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7. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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directing a patient to perform a muscle action;
directing information to be collected, the information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action; and
at least reducing an essential tremor motion of the patient by administering drugs to the patient and applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to a stimulation site, the location of the stimulation site being based at least in part on the information.
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8. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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directing a patient to perform a muscle action;
directing information to be collected, the information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action; and
at least reducing an essential tremor motion of the patient by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to a stimulation site, the location of the stimulation site being based at least in part on the information, the electrical stimulation including a varying electrical stimulation signal having an electrical potential of from about 0.25 volts to about 5.0 volts.
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9. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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directing a patient to perform a muscle action that includes maintaining a muscle in a particular position;
directing information to be collected, the information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action; and
at least reducing an essential tremor motion of the patient by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to a stimulation site, the location of the stimulation site being based at least in part on the information.
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10. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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obtaining first information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient does not perform a muscle action;
directing a patient to perform the muscle action;
directing second information to be collected, the second information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action; and
at least reducing an essential tremor motion of the patient by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to a stimulation site, the location of the stimulation site being based at least in part on a comparison of the second information with the first information.
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11. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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directing the patient to undergo a plurality of muscle actions;
selecting from the plurality of muscle actions a muscle action that produces a selected level of essential tremor motion;
directing a patient to perform the muscle action to produce the selected level of essential tremor motion;
directing information to be collected, the information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action; and
at least reducing an essential tremor motion of the patient by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to a stimulation site, the location of the stimulation site being based at least in part on the information.
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12. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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identifying a muscle action subject to essential tremor;
monitoring a first image of the patient'"'"'s brain function while the patient is not performing the muscle action;
monitoring a second image of the patient'"'"'s brain function while the patient performs the muscle action;
comparing the first and second images to identify a stimulation site of the brain;
placing at least one electrode at least proximate to the stimulation site;
at least reducing the patient'"'"'s essential tremor motion by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to the stimulation site. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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directing a patient to perform a muscle action;
while the patient performs the muscle action, directing a collection of information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain;
directing a comparison of a first portion of the information corresponding to a level of neural activity at the left hemisphere of the patient'"'"'s brain with a second portion of the information corresponding to a level of neural activity at the right hemisphere of the patient'"'"'s brain; and
at least reducing an essential tremor motion of the patient by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to a stimulation site, with a location of the stimulation site being based at least in part on the comparison of the first and second portions of the information. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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directing a patient to perform an action with a first muscle on a first side of the patient'"'"'s body, the first muscle being controlled by a second hemisphere of the patient'"'"'s brain;
while the patient performs the action with the first muscle, directing a collection of first information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain;
directing the patient to perform an action with a second muscle on a second side of the patient'"'"'s body, the second muscle mirroring the first muscle and being controlled by a first hemisphere of the patient'"'"'s brain;
while the patient perform an action with the second muscle, directing a collection of second information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain; and
at least reducing an essential tremor motion of the patient by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to a stimulation site, with a location of the stimulation site being based at least in part on a comparison of the first information with the second information. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for treating essential tremor, comprising:
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directing a collection of first information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs a muscle action;
affecting the patient'"'"'s motor nerves by introducing a drug into the patient'"'"'s body;
directing a collection of second information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient'"'"'s brain while the patient performs the muscle action and while the patient is under the influence of the drug; and
at least reducing the patient'"'"'s essential tremor motion by applying an electrical stimulation at least proximate to a stimulation site, with a location of the stimulation site being based at least in part on the comparison of the first information with the second information. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification