Monitoring the effects of sleep deprivation using neuronal avalanches

US10820817B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America, as represented by The Secretary of Defense, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology · US

Inventors

• Dietmar Plenz · Bethesda, US
• Oren Shriki · Rockville, US
• Giulio Tononi · Verona, US
• Christian Meisel · Berlin, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 15, 2014
• Grant date: Nov 3, 2020
• Expiry date: Jun 1, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B5/316
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method of continuously monitoring neuronal avalanches in a subject comprising (a) determining a deviation in avalanche exponent (α) or branching parameter (σ) from a predetermined value at rest, wherein the pre-determined value of α is a slope of a size distribution of the synchronized neuronal activity and the predetermined value is −3/2 and the pre-determined value of σ is a ratio of successively propagated synchronized neuronal activity and the predetermined value is 1; and (b) repeating step (a) one or more times to continuously monitor neuronal avalanches in a subject. The invention also features methods of determining or monitoring the degree of sleep deprivation in a subject, methods of identifying subjects that are susceptible to a sleep disorder and methods of diagnosing a sleep disorder in a subject.