Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-07
2004-02-03
Shaw, Shawna J (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
C600S409000, C600S544000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06687525
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to the diagnosis and treatment of neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases. More specifically, this invention relates to the diagnosis and treatment of neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases using electromagnetic and frequency analysis techniques.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The major theory of motor and cognitive functions hypothesizes that motor and cognitive functions arise from coordinate electrical activity at the cortical level of the brain. Coordinate electrical activity refers to controlled electrical discharges within the brain at both cellular and macrocellular levels. Controlled electrical discharges facilitate communication within and among different regions of the cortex, and thus coordinate electrical activity through controlled electrical discharges at the cortical level of the brain gives rise to motor and cognitive abilities.
At the cellular level, neurons within the brain interact and communicate through electrical signals that are sent between neurons. Neurons send electrical signals via an electrochemical process, wherein an exchange of ions occurs through a neuron's membrane, thereby causing an electrical discharge. When a neuron is in its rest state, the neuron accumulates and maintains a negative charge within its membrane, thereby polarizing a negative potential (typically −70 mV) between the inside and outside of the neuron. The neuron discharges when a stimulus event increases the negative membrane potential beyond a certain threshold value (typically −55 mV), thereby triggering an exchange of ions across the neuron's membrane and depolarizing the neuron. The depolarization and exchange of ions causes a positive discharge, also known as a “spike” or “impulse,” that peaks at a net positive potential (typically +30 mV). This positive discharge is sent from the neuron through its axon(s) to the dendrites of recipient neurons, which receive the electrical signal. After the positive discharge, the transmitting neuron returns to its rest state, thereby completing the discharge cycle.
The stimulus event that causes the discharge of a transmitter neuron may occur because of the effect of an inhibitor neuron on the transmitter neuron. An inhibitor neuron acts to prevent the discharge of other neurons, and thus provides a negative feedback mechanism that prevents the discharge of these neurons by maintaining a negative membrane potential. When the inhibitor neuron is itself inhibited, however, then its negative feedback becomes positive, thereby raising the membrane potential to the threshold level and causing those neurons it had been inhibiting to discharge. Thus, inhibitor neurons control the electrical discharge of other neurons.
Stimulus events that affect the discharge of a transmitter neuron may also occur independently of an inhibitor neuron. In particular, the sensory input received by a transmitter neuron may control the discharge of the transmitter neuron. Thus, the general chemical and physiological components around the neuron themselves affect the discharge of a neuron irrespective of inhibitor neurons. As a result, neurotransmitters and other chemical and physiological components may influence the discharge of a neuron.
At the macrocellular level, different regions of the brain are responsible for different cognitive and motor functions. Different layers of the cortex, which is the outer layer of the brain, control different cognitive and motor skills including speech, hearing, sight, touch, smell and thought. The cortex itself has six main cellular levels of neurons (levels I-VI) wherein intracellular communication takes place via electrical impulses. Thus, normal cognitive and motor functions are the product of coordinate electrical activity that occurs at the cortical level.
Also at the macrocellular level, the thalamus resides within the center of the brain and acts as a “communications hub” between different regions of the brain, including the cortex. The normal electrical activity of the thalamus is also coherent, in the sense that the thalamus fires electrical impulses at specific intervals and in a controlled fashion. A plurality of neurons exist between the thalamus and the cortex, thereby creating corticothalamic pathways that facilitate communication and interaction between the thalamus and the cortex.
The thalamus itself is divided into regions that include the sensory thalamus and the reticular nucleus. The sensory thalamus is stimulated by signals from other sensory inputs from the body and communicates those inputs to the cortex. The reticular nucleus surrounds the sensory thalamus and acts to suppress the sensory thalamus from transmitting signals at certain times, such as sleep, when the cortex is to be desensitized from communication with the rest of the body. Thus, the reticular nucleus suppresses the electrical activity and discharge of the sensory thalamus.
The thalamus and the cortex are connected through specific and nonspecific corticothalamic pathways. Specific pathways refer to pathways between the thalamus and particular sensory or motor input regions of the cortex, typically connecting at layer IV of the cortex. Nonspecific pathways refer to pathways between the thalamus and non-sensory and non-motor input regions of the cortex, typically connecting at layers I, IV and V of the cortex. Afferent corticothalamic pathways communicate signals from the thalamus to the cortex, whereas efferent corticothalamic pathways communicate signals from the cortex to the thalamus, thereby closing the communication loop between the cortex and the thalamus.
Coordinate electrical activity is characterized by normal neuronal oscillation (i.e., normal frequencies of electrical oscillation by neurons and neuronic regions), wherein neurons and neuronic regions of the brain discharge electrical impulses at particular frequencies, thereby causing electrical oscillation. At the cellular level, inhibitors and neuronal inputs properly control the chemical release of neurons and thereby facilitate normal electrical discharges by the neurons. At the macrocellular level, the interaction and communication between properly discharging neurons causes normal, coordinate electrical activity characterized by electrical oscillation at different frequencies between and among particular regions of the brain.
Neuronal oscillation generally occurs in a plurality of distinct frequency bands. These frequency bands include the theta (&thgr;) band, which includes low frequency oscillations in the 4-8 Hz range, and are most commonly associated with the four-phase sleep cycle of human beings. These frequency bands also include the gamma (&ggr;) band, which includes high frequency oscillations in the 20-50 Hz range, and which are associated with sensorimotor and cognitive functions. Individuals experience specific types and amounts of theta- and gamma-band activity based on factors including their mental activity level and physical state. For instance, a person who is asleep will typically experience the four-phase theta-band oscillation cycle associated with sleep, whereas a person who is awake and active will experience gamma-band oscillation at the cortical level to perform cognitive and motor functions.
Neuropsychiatric diseases occur when the coordinate, controlled electrical activity at the cortical level of the brain becomes disrupted, thereby leading to uncoordinated electrical activity and abnormal neuronal oscillation. Neuropsychiatric diseases include but are not limited to neurogenic pain, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, panic disorder, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, rigidity, dystonia, tinnitus and epilepsy. In particular, these and other neuropsychiatric diseases are characterized by thalamocortical dysrhythmia, wherein the electrical oscillation levels and frequencies for different portions of the cortex and thalamus deviate from the oscillation levels and frequencies that exist for persons who do not suffer from neuropsychiatric disease
Jeanmonod Daniel
Llinas Rodolfo R.
Ribary Urs
New York University
Shaw Shawna J
LandOfFree
Method and system for diagnosing and treating... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and system for diagnosing and treating..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and system for diagnosing and treating... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3337495