Systems, methods and devices for paired plasticity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11116933-B2
Application number	US-201715496766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2017
Priority date	Jul 2, 2008
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

Systems, methods and devices for paired training include timing controls so that training and neural stimulation can be provided simultaneously. Paired trainings may include therapies, rehabilitation and performance enhancement training. Stimulations of nerves such as the vagus nerve that affect subcortical regions such as the nucleus basalis, locus coeruleus or amygdala induce plasticity in the brain, enhancing the effects of a variety of therapies, such as those used to treat tinnitus, stroke, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of treating a stroke motor deficit in a patient comprising:
providing a neurostimulator to the patient to stimulate a vagus nerve of the patient electrically;
detecting a preliminary event that anticipates a pairing event included in a motor therapy;
initiating, based on detection of the preliminary event, stimulation of the patient's vagus nerve with the neurostimulator before a beginning of the pairing event;
continuously applying the stimulation of the patient's vagus nerve with the neurostimulator so that the stimulation overlaps an initial interval in a duration of the pairing event; and
thereby reducing the patient's stroke motor deficit.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the neurostimulator provides a series of electrical pulse trains.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the neurostimulator provides a programmed sequence of electrical pulse trains.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the neurostimulator provides an electrical pulse train in response to a received signal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motor therapy is a sequence of therapeutic motions.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motor therapy is a therapeutic motion.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motor therapy is a sequence of motions.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient's vagus nerve is also stimulated after the performance of the motor therapy.

Assignees

• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Kilgard Michael P
• Cauller Larry
• Engineer Navzer
• Mcintyre Rodriguez Christa
• Rosellini Will

Classifications

• G09B19/00

  Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass (teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26) · CPC title

• A61M2205/3515

  using magnetic means · CPC title

• A61M2021/0016

  by the smell sense · CPC title

• A61M2021/0072

  with application of electrical currents · CPC title

• A61M2230/60

  Muscle strain, i.e. measured on the user · CPC title