Method and system for thermal stimulation of targeted neural circuits for neurodegenerative disorders

Abstract

A method and system for noninvasively treating a neurodegenerative disorder, can involve determining characteristics indicative of physical attributes of a central nervous system, the characteristics including parameters for diminishing adverse impacts of a magnetothermal stimulation treatment for a neurodegenerative disorder with respect to the central nervous system, and applying as a part of the magnetothermal stimulation treatment and based on the characteristics of the physical attributes of the central nervous system, a magnetic field to the brain for a thermal stimulation of neuron cells within the brain.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for noninvasively treating a neurodegenerative disorder, comprising
 determining characteristics indicative of physical attributes of a central nervous system, the characteristics including parameters for diminishing adverse impacts of a magnetothermal stimulation treatment for a neurodegenerative disorder with respect to the central nervous system; and   applying as a part of the magnetothermal stimulation treatment and based on the characteristics of the physical attributes of the central nervous system, a magnetic field to the brain for a thermal stimulation of neuron cells within the brain.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristics indicative of the physical attributes comprise blood flow dynamics. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristics indicative of the physical attributes comprise magnetic nanoparticle interactions with blood capillary flow. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristics indicative of the physical attributes comprise heat transfer across at least one area of the brain. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristics indicative of the physical attributes comprise regulated neural signaling. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristics indicative of the physical attributes comprise at least one of: blood flow dynamics, magnetic nanoparticle interactions with capillary flow, heat transfer, and regulated neural signaling. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising injecting nanoparticles into brain capillaries of the brain prior to the applying of the magnetic field to the brain. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristics indicative of the physical attributes comprise temperature profiles within the central nervous system when exposed to the magnetic field. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising calculating a brain tissue temperature distribution associated with the brain based on a finite element method. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the characteristics of the physical attributes account for a movement of ions between presynaptic cradle and astrocyte soma under an influence of a temperature elevation included in the temperature profiles. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the characteristics comprise data indicative of a prediction of sodium/calcium exchanger behavior as an additional source of calcium at the presynaptic cradle as a function of an induced temperature included in the temperature profiles. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the magnetic field comprises at least one of: an alternative magnetic field or a variable magnetic field. 
     
     
         13 . A method of noninvasively treating a neurodegenerative disorder, comprising:
 modeling characteristics indicative of physical attributes of a central nervous system, the characteristics including parameters for diminishing adverse impacts of a magnetothermal stimulation treatment for a neurodegenerative disorder with respect to the central nervous system.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising applying as a part of the magnetothermal stimulation treatment and based on the characteristics of the physical attributes of the central nervous system, a magnetic field to the brain for a thermal stimulation of neuron cells within the brain. 
     
     
         15 . A system for noninvasively treating a neurodegenerative disorder, comprising:
 a magnetothermal stimulation device that applies as a part of a magnetothermal stimulation treatment for a neurodegenerative disorder with respect to the central nervous system and based on characteristics of physical attributes of the central nervous system, a magnetic field to the brain for a thermal stimulation of neuron cells within the brain.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the characteristics of the physical attributes of the central nervous system include parameters for diminishing adverse impacts of the magnetothermal stimulation treatment for the neurodegenerative disorder with respect to the central nervous system. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the characteristics indicative of the physical attributes comprise at least one of: blood flow dynamics, magnetic nanoparticle interactions with capillary flow, heat transfer, and regulated neural signaling. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising an injection device for injecting nanoparticles into brain capillaries of the brain, wherein the nanoparticles are injected into the brain capillaries by the injection device prior to applying the magnetic field to the brain. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the characteristics indicative of the physical attributes comprise at least one of:
 temperature profiles within the central nervous system when exposed to the magnetic field;   a brain tissue temperature distribution associated with the brain based on a finite element method;   data indicative of a movement of ions between presynaptic cradle and astrocyte soma under an influence of a temperature elevation included in the temperature profiles; and   data indicative of a prediction of sodium/calcium exchanger behavior as an additional source of calcium at the presynaptic cradle as a function of an induced temperature included in the temperature profiles.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the magnetic field comprises at least one of: an alternative magnetic field or a variable magnetic field.