151 results about "Spinal Nerve Disorders" patented technology

A method of treating a brain disorder by heat transfer from brain tissue comprising the steps of surgically cutting a heat transfer aperture into a patient's skull, thereby exposing a predetermined portion of patient's brain; surgically implanting into said heat transfer aperture a heat pump having one or more electrical sensor elements and one or more temperature sensor elements; surgically implanting a heat transfer management unit in a body cavity of said patient such that a micro controller of the heat transfer management unit is connected to one or more activity sensor elements and one or more temperature sensor elements contacting brain tissue and connecting the heat transfer management unit to said heat pump via a lead bundle. Optionally, the heat transfer unit may be located external to the patient's body. Responsive to signals from one or more activity or temperature sensor elements, mathematical algorithms of the heat transfer management unit determine abnormal brain activity, causing the heat pump to remove heat from the brain tissue into a heat sink, thereby cooling the predetermined portion of the patient's brain. This technique utilizes acute hypothermia by means of a Peltier cooler or similar device to cool the brain temperature to reduce or prevent seizure initiation and / or propagation. The method may be used in association with brain stimulation and / or drug application to acutely avoid the occurrence of a seizure episode.

The present invention is directed to a method for delivering cytokines to the central nervous system and the lymphatic system by way of a tissue innervated by the trigeminal nerve and / or olfactory nerve. Cytokines include tumor necrosis factors, interleukins, interferons, particularly interferon-β and its muteins such as IFN-βser17. Such a method of delivery can be useful in the treatment of central nervous system disorders, brain disorders, proliferative, viral, and / or autoimmune disorders such as Sjogren's disorder.

A method and apparatus for removing harmful organic anions and proteins from a mammalian's ventricular cerebrospinal fluid in the treatment of brain disorders. One embodiment comprises using an implanted pump and filter system in conjunction with a drug or enzyme to clean and filter a patient's cerebrospinal fluid.

A method of treating brain disorders involving loss of cells that respond to GDNF is disclosed. In one embodiment, the invention comprises the steps of (a) transducing human neural stem cells with glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), wherein the GDNF gene is under control of an inducible promoter system, and (b) transplanting the transduced cells into the brain of a patient.

Systems and methods for evaluating prospective treatments for progressive brain disorders like Alzheimer's disease and the progressive effects of aging involve the use of an imaging device communicatively coupled to a computing device. The imaging device may takes a plurality of brain imaging measurements from each of a plurality of human subjects who are divided into a treated group and an untreated group based on various subject data including whether the subjects carry certain alleles of genes known to increase the risk of developing the brain disorder at issue. The computing device receives the brain imaging measurements from the imaging device and applies an advanced processing method that permits enhanced computational efficiency when calculating rates of change for the two groups and determining whether any calculated difference between the rates is statistically significant.

Medical image data is analysed to produce a biomarker. The data is filtered with a plurality of band-pass filters each having a different bandwidth. A texture parameter is then determined from the filtered data from each filter and the biomarker is determined as at a ratio of the texture parameters. When the biomarker is obtained from a CT image of a liver, it can be predictive of poor survival, disease extent and liver physiology of a patient following resection of colorectal cancer. When obtained from a mammographic image, the biomarker can be indicative of cancer invasion and receptor status within mammographic abnormalities. When obtained from a CT image of a lung nodule, the biomarker can be predictive of tumour stage (or grading) and tumour metabolism of a patient with non-small cell lung carcinoma (lung cancer). When obtained from an MRI image of the brain, the biomarker can be indicative of schizophrenia and / or other brain disorders.

The present application is directed to devices and methods that can treat dementia or other brain disorders via electrical stimulation. Embodiments disclosed herein utilize brain stimulation of brain areas involved in memory and cognition through an intraventricular approach. Brain stimulation is combined with CSF flow in an intraventricular electrode having one or more passageways to permit fluid to flow therethrough. For example, an intraventricular electrode shunt catheter can be safely placed in any part of the ventricular system and through any foramen or aqueduct of the ventricular system without fear of obstruction to CSF flow.

Deep brain electrodes are remotely sensed and activated by means of a remote active implantable medical device (AIMD). In a preferred form, a pulse generator is implanted in the pectoral region and includes a hermetic seal through which protrudes a conductive leadwire which provides an external antenna for transmission and reception of radio frequency (RF) pulses. One or more deep brain electrode modules are constructed and placed which can transmit and receive RF energy from the pulse generator. An RF telemetry link is established between the implanted pulse generator and the deep brain electrode assemblies. The satellite modules are configured for generating pacing pulses for a variety of disease conditions, including epileptic seizures, Turrets Syndrome, Parkinson's Tremor, and a variety of other neurological or brain disorders.

Methods are provided for measuring glio-vascular pathway (“glymphatic system”) function in the brain of a mammal which include performing imaging of the brain and measuring cerebrospinal fluid-interstitial fluid (CSF-ISF) exchange in the brain. The methods can be used to track the exchange between CSF and ISF compartments. An imaging agent is optionally administered intrathecally. The imaging agent can be a negative or positive (paramagnetic) contrast agent and dynamic or contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain can be performed. The imaging agent can be a positron-emitting radionuclide tracer and positron emission tomography (PET) can be performed. Methods for treating diseases or disorders of the mammalian brain are also provided, in which the methods increase or decrease glymphatic clearance.

The present tools and methods for detecting, diagnosing, predicting, prognosticating, or treating a neurobehavioral phenotype in a subject. These tools and methods relates to a genotype and neurophenotype topography-based approach for analyzing brain neuroimaging and gene expression maps to identify drug targets associated with neurobehavioral phenotypes and, conversely, neurobehavioral phenotypes associated with potential drug targets, to develop rational design and application of pharmacological therapeutics for brain disorders, and to provide methods and tools for treatment of subjects in need of neurological therapy.

The invention relates to a stable preparation of phosphatidylserine and a preparation method, application as well as an application product of the stable preparation. The preparation method comprises the following step of processing the phosphatidylserine through microencapsulation, micro-pelletization or liposome encapsulation. The stable preparation of the phosphatidylserine can be independently applied as a medicine or can be added into daily foods, drinks and health-care products, also has an important effect on health care of brains while guaranteeing the color and the taste of the daily foods and the drinks of people and is of great benefit to brain disorder such as nutritional supplement of brain development of students, overstrain of nerves of the adults, and memory loss, brain atrophy and senile dementia of the middle aged and elderly people.

This invention involves a compound that is used for improving brain functioning and / or treatment of brain disorders, made from the following raw materials: (1) one or more medicinal herbs from borax, radix isatidis, honeysuckle, fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don and thunbergii; (2) One or more medicinal herbs from dryobalanops aromatica gaertn. f., calculus bovis, moschus moschiferus L., liquidambar orientalis mill. and gum benzoin; (3) One or more medicinal herbs from cortex phellodendri, coptis chinensis Franch, scutellaria baricalensis, radix gentianae, sophora flavescens; (4) One or more medicinal herbs from baphicacanthus Rhizome and Root, calculus bovis, indigowoad leaf, taraxacum officnala, rhizome of the manyleaf Paris, wild chrysanthemum; and the free selection of (5) Chrysanthemum, folium mori, mint, arctium lappa. This invention also includes the manufacturing method, uses, and the medicinal preparation of the above compounds.

The present invention is directed to a method for delivering agents to the central nervous system by way of a tissue innervated by the trigeminal nerve that is outside the nasal cavity. Such a method of delivery can be useful in the treatment of central nervous system and / or brain disorders.

One or more cannabinoids and / or terpenes in combination with psilocybin and / or psilocin may be used in the prevention or treatment of psychological or brain disorders. The one or more cannabinoids may be taken from the group of cannabidiol (CBD); cannabidiolic acid (CBDA); tetrahydrocannbidivarin (THCV); tetrahydrocannbidivarinin acid (THCVA); cannabichromene (CBC); cannabichromenic acid (CBCA); cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabigerolic acid (CBGA).

A method and apparatus for removing harmful organic anions and proteins from a mammalian's ventricular cerebrospinal fluid in the treatment of brain disorders. One embodiment comprises using an implanted pump and filter system in conjunction with a drug or enzyme to clean and filter a patient's cerebrospinal fluid.

The present invention relates to a dynamic brain function detection method and system synchronous with transcranial magnetic stimulation. The system comprises a transcranial magnetic stimulation device for magnetically stimulating a targeted brain region of a subject to achieve a purpose of activating or inhibiting functions of a corresponding brain region; a functional near-infrared spectrometerfor collecting brain blood oxygen signals of the targeted brain region of the subject and other function connection related brain blood oxygen signals; an analysis module for analyzing blood oxygen signals of multiple-frequency bands of the brain blood oxygen signals; and a synchronous marking module for synchronously marking a stimulation moment in near infrared time domain signals when the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) device starts to perform magnetic stimulation so as to instantly collect changes of the blood oxygen signals when the magnetic stimulation starts. The method provides a feasible scheme for researching brain disorder and cortical changes caused by the TMS and can also objectively measure an effect of the transcranial magnetic stimulation on different regions of abrain on a premise that the effect of the transcranial magnetic stimulation on the different regions of the brain cannot be quantified.

A method for ultrasound modulation of the brain for treatment of stroke, brain injury, and other neurological disorders or the improvement of cognitive functioning in patients. The method may include identifying a stimulation site of a brain, where the stimulation site is associated with a brain disorder, applying ultrasound to the stimulation site, and initiating physical therapy. Alternately, ultrasound may be applied to the brain to enhance aspects of cognitive functioning by the combination of exercising the functionality of the brain and applying ultrasound to the region(s) or structures of the brain known to be associated with that function.

Aspects of this invention are related, at least in part, to the use of chemical compounds able to inhibit GSK-3 and / or to stabilize β-catenin and formulations thereof. Some aspects of this invention relate to compositions comprising such compounds. Some aspects of the invention provide methods of using such compounds and / or compositions in the treatment of subjects having a neurological disease and / or psychiatric disorder. Some aspects of this invention provide methods of using ruboxistaurin, enzastaurin, sunitinib, midostaurin, lestaurtinib, 7-hydroxystaurosporine, and / or Chir99021 in the treatment of subjects having a neurological disease and / or psychiatric disorder. In some embodiments, compounds are administered in combination with Lithium.

Systems and methods for evaluating prospective treatments for progressive brain disorders like Alzheimer's disease and the progressive effects of aging involve the use of an imaging device communicatively coupled to a computing device. The imaging device may takes a plurality of brain imaging measurements from each of a plurality of human subjects who are divided into a treated group and an untreated group based on various subject data including whether the subjects carry certain alleles of genes known to increase the risk of developing the brain disorder at issue. The computing device receives the brain imaging measurements from the imaging device and applies an advanced processing method that permits enhanced computational efficiency when calculating rates of change for the two groups and determining whether any calculated difference between the rates is statistically significant.

The present invention involves the use of GLP-1 and its analogs or GLP-1 receptor agonists to modulate dopamine transporter signaling. The implications of this ability include the use of MT-1 and its analogs or GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as exendin-4, to blunt behavioral response to addictive drugs, to decrease drug dependence, to prevent drug abuse relapse, and to treat brain disorders such as neuropsychiatric disorders including ADHD. The present invention also involves the use of GLP-1 and its analogs or GLP-1 receptor agonists to activate GLP-1R in penile tissue, such as for the treatment of erectile dysfunction either as a monotherapy or in combinations with other treatments, such as PDE 5 inhibitors.

A method of qualifying a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) population is disclosed. The method comprises:(a) ex vivo differentiating a population of mesenchymal stem cells originating from the subject towards a first lineage-specific cell, the first lineage-specific cell being associated with a brain disease;(b) ex vivo differentiating a population of mesenchymal stem cells originating from a healthy subject towards the first lineage-specific cell;(c) comparing an effect of the first lineage specific cell derived from the subject with an effect of the first lineage specific cell derived from the healthy subject on a second lineage specific cell associated with the brain disease, wherein a difference in the effect above or below a predetermined level is indicative of a qualification of a mesenchymal stem cell population for cell therapy of said brain disease.

Methods are provided for measuring glio-vascular pathway (“glymphatic system”) function in the brain of a mammal which include performing imaging of the brain and measuring cerebrospinal fluid-interstitial fluid (CSF-ISF) exchange in the brain. The methods can be used to track the exchange between CSF and ISF compartments. An imaging agent is optionally administered intrathecally. The imaging agent can be a negative or positive (paramagnetic) contrast agent and dynamic or contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain can be performed. The imaging agent can be a positron-emitting radionuclide tracer and positron emission tomography (PET) can be performed. Methods for treating diseases or disorders of the mammalian brain are also provided, in which the methods increase or decrease glymphatic clearance.

Methods and systems for determining whether brain tissue is indicative of a disorder, such as a neurodegenerative disorder, are provided. The methods and systems generally utilize data processing techniques to assess a level of congruence between measured parameters obtained from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data and simulated parameters obtained from computational modeling of brain tissues.

The present invention is directed to a method for delivering cytokines to the central nervous system and the lymphatic system by way of a tissue innervated by the trigeminal nerve and / or olfactory nerve. Cytokines include tumor necrosis factors, interleukins, interferons, particularly interferon-β and its muteins such as IFN-βser17. Such a method of delivery can be useful in the treatment of central nervous system disorders, brain disorders, proliferative, viral, and / or autoimmune disorders such as Sjogren's disorder.

Methods and apparatus for corneal imaging and sensing are provided. Apparatus capable of utilizing single or multiple frequency emissions at terahertz (THz) wavelengths to create reflectivity maps of the cornea in either a contact or non-contact modes are also provided. Methods of obtaining data from THz imaging and sensing apparatus about the corneal tissue-aqueous humor system, including information about the corneal tissue water content (CTWC) and / or the central corneal thickness (CCT) are likewise provided. Methodologies may use multiple transfer functions (frequencies) in obtaining simultaneous data about CTWC and CCT. Methods using frequency sweeping to allow for determination of CTWC and CCT may also be utilized. Methods may also be used to assess CTWC using multiple bandwidths at the same frequency, or multiple frequencies at the same bandwidth. Methods may use data from CTWC measurements to aid in the diagnosis of various corneal and brain disorders.

A computer aided diagnostic system and automated method classify a brain through modeling and analyzing the shape of a brain cortex, e.g., to detect a brain cortex that is indicative of a developmental disorder such as ADHD, autism or dyslexia. A model used in such analysis describes the shape of brain cortices in terms of spherical harmonics required to delineate a unit sphere corresponding to the brain cortex to a model of the brain cortex.