Apparatus and method for treating mild cognitive impairment and dementia

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are described herein for treating a patient with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia by one or more digital therapeutics. For example, a patient who has been diagnosed with the MCI or dementia may administer one or more digital therapeutics to the patient to improve a plurality of neurohumoral factors that cause the MCI or the dementia of the patient. The digital therapeutics may include one or more digital instructions that are generated to treat at least one imbalance of the plurality of neurohumoral factors based on at least one neurohumoral change among the plurality of neurohumoral factors by the patient's performance of the one or more digital instructions. The one or more digital instructions may include at least one of an execution environment setting, a lifestyle change, learning, exercising, or affirmation/achievement task.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method of treating a patient with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia by one or more digital therapeutics, the method comprising:
 determining whether the patient has MCI or dementia based on one or more symptoms of MCI or dementia; and   on a condition that the patient has been diagnosed with MCI or dementia, administering the one or more digital therapeutics to the patient to improve a plurality of neurohumoral factors that cause the MCI or the dementia of the patient,   wherein the one or more digital therapeutics comprise one or more digital instructions that are generated to treat at least one imbalance of the plurality of neurohumoral factors based on at least one neurohumoral change among the plurality of neurohumoral factors occurring because of the patient's performance of the one or more digital instructions.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of neurohumoral factors includes at least one of sex steroid hormone, insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2), β-catenin in Wnt signaling, Bcl-2—associated athanogene 1 (BAG1), cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), inflammation factors, corticosteroids, or neurohormones. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the corticosteroids include cortisol and glucocorticoid, and wherein the neurohormones include dopamine, noradrenaline, and somatostatin. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more digital instructions includes at least one of an execution environment setting, a lifestyle change, learning, exercising, being affirmative or an achievement task. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one imbalance of the plurality of neurohumoral factors includes at least one of a sex steroid hormone imbalnace, a IGF-2 decrease, a β-catenin degradation, a BAG1 inactivation, a CREB inactivation, an increase in inflammation factors, a corticosteroids increase, or a neurohormone decrease. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one neurohumoral change in the patient includes at least one of neurogenesis in the patient's hippocampus, anti-inflammation, anti-stress, or anti-depression. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one of the execution environment setting, the lifestyle change, or the learning are associated with the neurogenesis in the patient's hippocampus to treat at least one of the sex steroid hormone imbalance, the IGF-2 decrease, the β-catenin degradation, the BAG1 inactivation, or the CREB inactivation. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one of the execution environment setting or the learning are associated with the anti-stress to treat the corticosteroids increase. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the exercising is associated with the anti-inflammation to treat the increase in inflammation factors. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one of the execution environment setting, the being affirmative or the achievement task are associated with the anti-depression to treat the neurohormone decrease. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a result of the patient's performance of the one or more digital instructions that were repeated by the patient predetermined multiple times; and   generating, based on the result, one or more digital instructions to treat at least one imbalance of the plurality of neurohumoral factors.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more digital therapeutics is performed by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU). 
     
     
         13 . A method of treating a subject having mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia by one or more digital therapeutics, the method comprising:
 administering, by the subject, the one or more digital therapeutics to improve a plurality of neurohumoral factors that cause the MCI or the dementia of the subject, wherein the one or more digital therapeutics comprise first one or more digital instructions that are generated to treat at least one imbalance of the plurality of neurohumoral factors based on at least one neurohumoral change among the plurality of neurohumoral factors by performing the one or more digital instructions.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of neurohumoral factors includes at least one of sex steroid hormone, insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2), β-catenin in Wnt signaling, Bcl-2—associated athanogene 1 (BAG1), cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), inflammation factors, corticosteroids that include cortisol and glucocorticoid, or neurohormones that include dopamine, noradrenaline, and somatostatin. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first one or more digital instructions includes at least one of an execution environment setting, a lifestyle change, learning, exercising, being affirmative or an achievement task. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one imbalance of the plurality of neurohumoral factors includes at least one of a sex steroid hormone imbalnace, a IGF-2 decrease, a β-catenin degradation, a BAG1 inactivation, a CREB inactivation, an increase in inflammation factors, a corticosteroids increase, or a neurohormone decrease, and wherein the at least one neurohumoral change in the subject includes at least one of neurogenesis in the patient's hippocampus, anti-inflammation, anti-stress or anti-depression. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the subject, based on a result of performing the first one or more digital instructions, a second one or more digital instructions; and   performing, based on the result, the second one or more digital instructions to treat at least one imbalance of the plurality of neurohumoral factors.   
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for use by a subject having mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia, the apparatus comprising:
 a processor configured to generate one or more digital therapeutics to improve a plurality of neurohumoral factors that cause the MCI or the dementia of the subject, wherein the one or more digital therapeutics comprise one or more digital instructions that are generated to treat at least one imbalance of the plurality of neurohumoral factors based on at least one neurohumoral change among the plurality of neurohumoral factors by the subject's performance of the one or more digital instructions.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate, based on the subject's performance of the one or more digital instructions, second one or more digital instructions to treat at least one imbalance of the plurality of neurohumoral factors of the subject. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a transmitter configured to transmit, to another apparatus of a medical entity, a result of the subject's performance of the one or more digital instructions; and   a receiver configured to receive, from the another apparatus, second one or more digital therapeutics that includes second one or more digital instructions generated based on the result in order to treat at least one imbalance of the plurality of neurohumoral factors.