Methods and apparatus for effectuating a lasting change in a neural-function of a patient
First Claim
1. A method of stimulating the brain of patient to effectuate a neural-function, comprising:
- providing an image of neural activity in the brain of the patient;
selecting a stimulation site comprising a region at the cortex of the brain of the patient where a change in neural activity is expected to occur to carry out the neural-function; and
applying electrical stimulation to the stimulation site, wherein applying electrical stimulation to the stimulation site comprises applying a signal that results in an applied voltage approximately 10% greater than an expected resting potential of a population of neurons at the stimulation site.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The following disclosure describes several methods and apparatus for intracranial electrical stimulation to treat or otherwise effectuate a change in neural-functions of a patient. Several embodiments of methods in accordance with the invention are directed toward enhancing or otherwise inducing a lasting change in neural activity to effectuate a particular neural-function. Such lasting change in neural activity is defined as “neuroplasticity.” The methods in accordance with the invention can be used to treat brain damage (e.g., stroke, trauma, etc.), brain disease (e.g., Alzheimer'"'"'s, Pick'"'"'s, Parkinson'"'"'s, etc.), and/or brain disorders (e.g., epilepsy, depression, etc.). The methods in accordance with the invention can also be used to enhance neural-function of normal, healthy brains (e.g., learning, memory, etc.), or to control sensory functions (e.g., pain). Certain embodiments of methods in accordance with the invention electrically stimulate the brain at a stimulation site where neuroplasticity is occurring. The stimulation site may be different than the region in the brain where neural activity is typically present to perform the particular neural function according to the functional organization of the brain. In one embodiment in which neuroplasticity related to the neural-function occurs in the brain, the method can include identifying the location where such neuroplasticity is present. In an alternative embodiment in which neuroplasticity is not occurring in the brain, an alternative aspect is to induce neuroplasticity at a stimulation site where it is expected to occur. Several embodiments of these methods that are expected to produce a lasting effect on the intended neural activity at the stimulation site use electrical pulses that increase the resting membrane potential of neurons at the stimulation site to a subthreshold level.
-
Citations
44 Claims
-
1. A method of stimulating the brain of patient to effectuate a neural-function, comprising:
-
providing an image of neural activity in the brain of the patient; selecting a stimulation site comprising a region at the cortex of the brain of the patient where a change in neural activity is expected to occur to carry out the neural-function; and applying electrical stimulation to the stimulation site, wherein applying electrical stimulation to the stimulation site comprises applying a signal that results in an applied voltage approximately 10% greater than an expected resting potential of a population of neurons at the stimulation site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method of stimulating the brain of a patient to effectuate a particular neural-function, comprising:
-
selecting a stimulation site comprising a region of the cortex in the brain of the patient where a change in neural activity is expected to occur to carry out the neural-function; and applying electrical stimulation directly to the cortex at the stimulation site, wherein applying electrical stimulation to the stimulation site comprises applying a signal having a voltage effective to raise an expected resting potential of a population of neurons at the stimulation site by at least approximately 10% of a difference between the expected resting potential and an action potential for the population of neurons. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
-
-
40. A method of stimulating the brain of patient to effectuate a neural-functional comprising:
-
providing an image of neural activity in the cortex of the brain of the patient; selecting a stimulation site comprising a region or the cortex of the brain of the patient where a change in neural activity is expected to occur to carry out the neural-function; applying an electrical signal directly to the stimulation site, wherein the signal is sufficient to provide a potential to the stimulation site that is approximately 10–
80% greater than an expected resting potential of a population of neurons at the stimulation site. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
-
-
43. A method of stimulating the brain of a patient to effectuate a particular neural-function, comprising:
-
assessing a symptom associated with stroke; selecting a stimulation site comprising a region of the cortex in the brain of the patient where neural activity is expected to occur to carry out a neural-function associated with the stroke symptom; applying electrical stimulation directly to the cortex at the stimulation site; and wherein selecting a stimulation site further comprises (a) peripherally initiating neural activity associated with the stroke symptom and (b) determining where the neural activity associated with the stroke symptom occurs in response to the peripheral initiated neural activity. - View Dependent Claims (44)
-
Specification