Treatment of aphasia by electrical stimulation and/or drug infusion
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of treating a patient with conductive aphasia caused by an abnormally functioning arcuate fasciculus that hinders communication between a Broca'"'"'s area and a Wernicke'"'"'s area of the patient'"'"'s brain, comprising:
- providing at least one System Control Unit (SCU) controllably connected to one or more electrodes and/or infusion outlets;
implanting the one or more electrodes and/or infusion outlets in or adjacent to the Wernicke'"'"'s area;
measuring an attempted speech production of the patient and transmitting a corresponding signal to the SCU; and
activating the SCU in response to the transmitted signal to control delivery of a stimulus from the one or more electrodes and/or infusion outlets to the Wernicke'"'"'s area to circumvent the communication role of the arcuate fasciculus, thereby treating or reducing an occurrence or severity of a symptom of the conductive aphasia.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for applying electrical stimulation and/or introducing one or more stimulating drugs to the brain to treat or prevent aphasia, including through use of at least one system control unit (SCU) for controlling electrical pulses delivered via electrodes implanted in the brain and/or for producing drug infusion pulses to targeted areas in the brain.
36 Citations
14 Claims
-
1. A method of treating a patient with conductive aphasia caused by an abnormally functioning arcuate fasciculus that hinders communication between a Broca'"'"'s area and a Wernicke'"'"'s area of the patient'"'"'s brain, comprising:
-
providing at least one System Control Unit (SCU) controllably connected to one or more electrodes and/or infusion outlets; implanting the one or more electrodes and/or infusion outlets in or adjacent to the Wernicke'"'"'s area; measuring an attempted speech production of the patient and transmitting a corresponding signal to the SCU; and activating the SCU in response to the transmitted signal to control delivery of a stimulus from the one or more electrodes and/or infusion outlets to the Wernicke'"'"'s area to circumvent the communication role of the arcuate fasciculus, thereby treating or reducing an occurrence or severity of a symptom of the conductive aphasia. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
Specification