Responsive Therapy for Psychiatric Disorders

Abstract

An implantable medical device is capable of delivering a form of therapy (e.g., electrical stimulation) to a region of the cingulate cortex of a patient's brain to treat a neurological event, condition or disorder, especially an event, condition, or disorder that is psychiatric in nature, such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, schizophrenia, and autism and other developmental disorders. The apparatus is also capable of detecting a signal corresponding to a characteristic of the psychiatric disorder. Methods of using the apparatus are also disclosed.

1 . An implantable apparatus for treating a psychiatric disorder in a human patient by selectively applying therapy, the apparatus comprising:
 an electrode array comprising a plurality of electrodes designed for and intended to be deployed so that the electrodes can be used to deliver stimulation to substantially any area of the cingulate cortex;   a therapy subsystem coupled to the electrode array, wherein the therapy subsystem is operative to selectively initiate delivery of a therapy to at least one of the electrodes in the electrode array;   a detection subsystem coupled to at least one sensor, wherein the detection subsystem is operative to receive and process a signal corresponding to a characteristic of the psychiatric disorder and generated by the at least one sensor;   a processor operative to identify a detected event in the signal generated by the at least one sensor and to cause the therapy subsystem to initiate application of the therapy through at least one of the electrodes in the electrode array.   
   
   
       2 . The implantable apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the psychiatric disorder is depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, schizophrenia, autism, or a developmental disorder. 
   
   
       3 . The implantable apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one electrode, and the at least one electrode is designed for and intended to be situated at or in the vicinity of the cingulate gyrus of the patient's brain. 
   
   
       4 . The implantable apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the therapy comprises electrical stimulation.