Neural blocking therapy

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for treating a variety of conditions include treating a disorder associated with neural activity near a region of a brain. In such condition, the method includes placing an electrode to create a field near said region, creating said field with parameters selected to at least partially block neural activity within said field. For treating a tissue sensation, the method includes identifying a target area of tissue to be treated and placing an electrode to create a field near the target area, and creating the field with parameters selected to at least partially block neural activity within the target area. For treating a condition associated with neural activity of a spinal cord, the method includes placing an electrode to create a field near a nerve associated with the spinal cord, and creating the field with parameters selected to at least partially block neural activity within the nerve.

Description

I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] This application pertains to method and apparatus for treating conditions associated with neuronal activity. [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0004] a. Neural Stimulation Treatments [0005] The prior art contains numerous examples of treatments involving stimulation signals to nerves, muscles or organs for treating a wide variety of medical disorders. [0006] U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,702,254 and 5,229,569 (both assigned to Cyberonics, Inc.) describe various central nervous system (CNS) treatments using electrical stimulation applied to the vagus nerve. For example, the '254 patent describes treatment of epilepsy. The '569 patent describes treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. U.S. patent application Publ. No. 2003 / 0144709 (also assigned to Cyberonics, Inc.) describes treatment of pain through nerve stimulation. [0007] U.S. patent application publication No. 2004 / 0243205 A1 to Keravel et al. published Dec. 2, 2004 ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The patent describes a method and device for treating various conditions by using an electrode to create a field that blocks neural activity in a specific area of the brain, spinal cord, or tissue. The treatment can be used to treat disorders associated with neural activity in these areas. The technical effect of this invention is to provide a non-invasive and effective way to treat conditions associated with neural activity."

Problems solved by technology

No therapy is achieved by the blocking.

Unfortunately, dopamine cannot be administered directly to patients because it does not cross the blood-brain barrier.

However, patients taking Sinemet for a longer period are prone to the “wearing-off” effect, a tendency for the effectiveness of the drug to be lost with time.

Hence, the dose of Sinemet will often have to be increased with time.

Moreover, as the dose of the medication is increased, some patients begin to experience side effects due an increase in brain dopamine levels.

The occurrence of side effects limits the further increase in Sinemet's dosage and at this point, treatment options become limited.

Furthermore, although levodopa / carbidopa treatment decreases bradykinesia and rigidity, it may not relieve tremor and balance.

Moreover, levodopa has a very short plasma half-life.

However, selegiline has its drawbacks.

Patients have been known to experience side effects such as nausea, orthostatic hypotension and insomnia.

However, these two drugs are less effective than L-DOPA in decreasing bradykinesia and rigidity and induce side effects such as paranoia, hallucinations, confusion, nausea and vomiting.

However, its effectiveness is known to wear off in a third to a half of the patients taking it.

Furthermore, it induces side effects such as edema, blurred vision, depression, confusion and mottled skin.

While effective, these drugs can also have side effects such as blurred vision, urinary retention, dry mouth, memory loss, and constipation.

Hence, they are of limited use to the older population because they can cause serious neuropsychiatric side effects.

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