Methods Useful in Optimizing the Treatment of Neuropathies and Targeting Tissues with Cosmetic Botulinum Injections

Abstract

The present invention pertains to methods of determining where, on the skin, a diagnostic, therapeutic, or cosmetic agent is likely to be most effectively applied (e.g., injected), and to methods for monitoring a patient after such an agent has been administered. The monitoring can produce information useful in determining whether a diagnostic, therapeutic (e.g., surgical), or cosmetic regime should be initiated, continued, continued in a modified fashion, or terminated (e.g., for a brief or prolonged period of time). The methods can be repeated periodically and use a non-invasive, in vivo form of digital image speckle correlation (DISC) to track deformation of the skin.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Application No. 61 / 482,057, which was filed May 3, 2011. The content of this earlier-filed provisional application is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH[0002]This invention was made with government support under grant number DMR0606387 awarded by the National Science Foundation. The government has certain rights in the invention.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0003]The present invention relates to both cosmetic treatments and to more serious conditions, including neuropathies (e.g., those caused by an acoustic neuroma) and stroke. More specifically, the invention relates to methods of optimizing where cosmetic agents such as botulinum toxin are best applied (e.g., injected); to methods of determining when and where treatment, including surgical intervention, for neuropathies should be undertaken; and to methods of evalu...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]As noted above, the present methods can be applied where non-cosmetic conditions or procedures are contemplated (e.g., an acoustic neuroma or following a stroke (whether pharmaceutically treated and/or treated with physical therapy). We applied DISC to see a change in nerve function of 12 patients suffering from acoustic neuroma. Another study was done to quantify the effects of botulinum toxin Type A (BOTOX®) on tension and contraction of treated muscle groups in six patients for a period of six months. Previously, many invasive techniques, which can be painful, have been used to see the effect of acoustic neuroma on nerve function. Similarly, for botulinum toxin injections, past treatment was based on subjective measures of aesthetic outcomes. While useful in determining patient satisfaction and self-image following treatment, these metrics fail to objectively quantify the direct effect of botulinum toxin on the facial musculature, nor do they allow us to predict a patient's response to treatment in a meaningful way. The present methods improve upon such outcomes. Despite several validated questionnaires, including the Facial Line Outcome (FLO-11) questionnaire and the Self-Perception of Age (SPA) measure, there is a lack of an objective measurement tool to determine the degree or duration of the toxin's effects (or of any other cosmetic procedure, such as the injection of a filler material to the lips, chin, cheekbones, or forehead). Our methods employ DISC as a sensitive non-invasive tool that derives corresponding displacement vectors through tracking geometric features on digital images before and after muscle deformation (e.g., before and after a patient is asked to assume a particular pose, such as smiling). By taking images (e.g., digitized images), DISC analysis can improve the current standard of care for cosmetic treatments in which an agent that alters the muscular function or form of the face is injected. We expect a similar improvement in the standard of care for neuropathies, including acoustic neuromas, as it can be difficult at present to track the rate of change and determine when to intervene and/or the success of an intervention. Moreover, the present methods can be adopted to analyze the extent of a stroke and/or a pat

Problems solved by technology

Previously, many invasive techniques, which can be painful, have been used to see the effect of acoustic neuroma on nerve function.

While useful in determining patient satisfaction and self-image following treatment, these metrics fail to objectively quantify the direct effect of botulinum toxin on the facial musculature, nor do they allow us to predict a patient's response to treatment in a meaningful way.

Despite several validated questionnaires, including the Facial Line Outcome (FLO-11) questionnaire an

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