Methods and devices for treating primary headache
First Claim
1. An apparatus for treating a primary headache in a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- a housing comprising an electrically permeable contact surface configured to contact an outer skin surface of the patient;
a source of energy configured to generate an electric field within the housing, wherein the electric field is sufficient to transmit an electric current through the outer skin surface of the patient to a vagus nerve of the patient, wherein the electric current comprises bursts of pulses with each of the bursts comprising a frequency from about 1 Hz to about 100 Hz and with each of the pulses comprising a duration from about 100 microseconds to about 400 microseconds; and
wherein the electric current is sufficient to generate an electric field at the vagus nerve, wherein the electric field is above a threshold for generating an action potential within a fiber of the vagus nerve, wherein the fiber is responsible for activating a neural pathway to cause a release of an inhibitory neurotransmitter within a brain of the patient to at least partially relieve one or more symptoms of the primary headache.
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Abstract
Non-invasive electrical nerve stimulation devices and magnetic stimulation devices are disclosed, along with methods of treating medical disorders using energy that is delivered noninvasively by such devices. The disorders comprise migraine and other primary headaches such as cluster headaches, including sinus symptoms that resemble an immune-mediated response (“sinus” headaches), irrespective of whether those symptoms arise from an allergy that is co-morbid with the headache. The disclosed methods may also be used to treat other disorders that may be co-morbid with migraine headaches, such as anxiety disorders. In preferred embodiments of the disclosed methods, one or both of the patient'"'"'s vagus nerves are stimulated non-invasively. In other embodiments, parts of the sympathetic nervous system and/or the adrenal glands are stimulated.
63 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus for treating a primary headache in a patient, the apparatus comprising:
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a housing comprising an electrically permeable contact surface configured to contact an outer skin surface of the patient; a source of energy configured to generate an electric field within the housing, wherein the electric field is sufficient to transmit an electric current through the outer skin surface of the patient to a vagus nerve of the patient, wherein the electric current comprises bursts of pulses with each of the bursts comprising a frequency from about 1 Hz to about 100 Hz and with each of the pulses comprising a duration from about 100 microseconds to about 400 microseconds; and wherein the electric current is sufficient to generate an electric field at the vagus nerve, wherein the electric field is above a threshold for generating an action potential within a fiber of the vagus nerve, wherein the fiber is responsible for activating a neural pathway to cause a release of an inhibitory neurotransmitter within a brain of the patient to at least partially relieve one or more symptoms of the primary headache. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method comprising:
treating a primary headache in a patient, wherein the treating comprises; accessing a device comprising a housing and a source of energy, wherein the housing comprises an electrically permeable contact surface configured to contact an outer skin surface of the patient, wherein the source of energy is configured to generate an electric field within the housing, wherein the electric field is sufficient to transmit an electric current through the outer skin surface of the patient to a vagus nerve of the patient, wherein the electric current comprises bursts of pulses with each of the bursts comprising a frequency from about 1 Hz to about 100 Hz and with each of the pulses comprising a duration from about 100 microseconds to about 400 microseconds, wherein the electric current is sufficient to generate an electric field at the vagus nerve, wherein the electric field is above a threshold for generating an action potential within a fiber of the vagus nerve, wherein the fiber is responsible for activating a neural pathway to cause a release of an inhibitory neurotransmitter within a brain of the patient to at least partially relieve one or more symptoms of the primary headache; contacting the outer skin surface of the patient with the electrically permeable contact surface; and generating the electric field within the housing via the source of energy.
Specification