Radiosurgical neuromodulation devices, systems, and methods for treatment of behavioral disorders by external application of ionizing radiation
US8337382B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 30, 2008 |
| Grant date | Dec 25, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 26, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61N5/1077
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Radiosurgical techniques and systems treat behavioral disorders (such as depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (“OCD”), addiction, hyperphagia, and the like) by directing radiation from outside the patient toward a target tissue within the patient's brain, typically without imposing surgical trauma. The target will often be included in a neural circuit associated with the behavioral disorder. A cellularly sub-lethal dose of the radiation may be applied and the radiation can mitigate the behavioral disorder, obesity, or the like, by modulating the level of neural activity within the target and in associated tissues. Hypersensitive and/or hyperactive neuronal tissue may be targeted, with the radiation downwardly modulating hyperactive neuronal activity. By down-regulating the activity of a target that normally exerts negative feedback or a limiting effect on a relevant neural circuit, the activity of the circuit may be increased.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.