Method, system and apparatus for automated termination of a therapy for an epileptic event upon a determination of effects of a therapy

Abstract

A method comprising detecting an epileptic event in a patient; applying an electrical therapy to a first target area in at least one of a brain region or a cranial nerve of said patient in response to said detecting; receiving a body signal responsive to the electrical therapy, wherein said body signal is selected from an autonomic signal, a neurologic signal, a metabolic signal, an endocrine signal, or a tissue stress marker signal; determining whether said body signal indicates that said electrical therapy has an efficacious effect; and terminating the application of said electrical therapy if the response indicates that the electrical therapy has an efficacious effect. An apparatus capable of performing the method. A non-transitive, computer-readable storage device for storing data that when executed by a processor, perform the method.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A medical device including one or more processors configured to perform a method, the method comprising:
 detecting via one or more sensors an electrical activity relating to an epileptic activity in a first brain region of a patient;   determining a first regularity index of the electrical activity relating to the epileptic activity; and   applying a first electrical stimulation to a neural target of the patient for treating an epileptic event based on the first regularity index being within a first range.   
     
     
         2 . The medical device of  claim 1 , where the method further includes:
 receiving an efficacy body signal after applying the first electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient, wherein the efficacy body signal is selected from at least one of an autonomic signal, a neurologic signal, a metabolic signal, an endocrine signal, and a tissue stress marker signal;   determining whether the efficacy body signal indicates that the first electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient has an efficacious effect; and   terminating the application of the first electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient based on a determination that indicates that the first electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient has an efficacious effect.   
     
     
         3 . The medical device of  claim 1 , where the method further comprising continuing the application of the first electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient based on a determination indicating that the first electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient has not had an efficacious effect. 
     
     
         4 . The medical device of  claim 3 , where the method continues the first electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient for a predetermined duration. 
     
     
         5 . The medical device of  claim 1 , where the method further comprises terminating the application of the first electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient based on a safety duration constraint. 
     
     
         6 . The medical device of  claim 1 , where the method further comprises determining whether the efficacy body signal indicates that the first electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient has an adverse effect; and
 terminating the application of the first electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient based on a response indicates that the first electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient has an adverse effect.   
     
     
         7 . The medical device of  claim 6 , the method further comprising determining whether the efficacy body signal indicates that the first electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient has an adverse effect comprises: determining an adverse effect index and comparing the adverse effect index to an adverse effect threshold. 
     
     
         8 . The medical device of  claim 7 , the method further comprising: modifying at least one parameter of the first electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient based on: the efficacy body signal is indicative of lack of an efficacious effect; the adverse event index reaches an adverse event threshold; the efficacy body signal is indicative of an unsafe effect; or the first electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient is not tolerated by the patient; and delivering a modified electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient. 
     
     
         9 . The medical device of  claim 1 , the method further comprising applying a second electrical stimulation to a second neural target of the patient. 
     
     
         10 . A medical device including one or more processors configured to perform a method, the method comprising:
 detecting via one or more sensors a first electrical activity relating to a first epileptic activity in a first brain sub-region of a patient;   detecting via the one or more sensors a second electrical activity relating to a second epileptic activity in a second brain sub-region of the patient;   determining a phase-locking index between the first electrical activity and the second electrical activity; and   applying an electrical stimulation to a neural target of the patient for treating an epileptic event based on the phase-locking index being within a range.   
     
     
         11 . The medical device of  claim 10 , where the method further includes:
 receiving an efficacy body signal after applying the electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient, wherein the efficacy body signal is selected from at least one of an autonomic signal, a neurologic signal, a metabolic signal, an endocrine signal, and a tissue stress marker signal;   determining whether the efficacy body signal indicates that the electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient has an efficacious effect; and   terminating the application of the electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient based on a determination that indicates that the electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient has an efficacious effect.   
     
     
         12 . The medical device of  claim 10 , where the method further comprising continuing the application of the electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient based on a determination indicating that the first electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient has not had an efficacious effect. 
     
     
         13 . The medical device of  claim 12 , where the method continues the electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient for a predetermined duration. 
     
     
         14 . The medical device of  claim 10 , where the method further comprises terminating the application of the electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient based on a safety duration constraint. 
     
     
         15 . A medical device system comprising:
 an epileptic event detection unit configured to detect via one or more processors an epileptic event;   one or more sensors configured to collect one or more electrical activity signals from at least one region of a brain of a patient;   a regularization determination unit configured to determine a regularity of an electrical activity;   a neuronal regularization unit configured to modify a regularity index for the electrical activity in the at least one region of the brain of the patient;   a phase-locking determination unit configured to determine a degree of phase-locking between a first electrical activity and a second electrical activity;   a phase-locking unit configured to modify a phase-locking index between the first electrical activity n the at least one brain region and a the second electrical activity in a second brain region of the patient; and   a stimulation unit configured to apply an electrical stimulation to at least one neural target of the patient based on an indication of the epileptic event.   
     
     
         16 . The medical device system of  claim 15 , where the method further includes:
 receiving an efficacy body signal after applying the electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient, wherein the efficacy body signal is selected from at least one of an autonomic signal, a neurologic signal, a metabolic signal, an endocrine signal, and a tissue stress marker signal;   determining whether the efficacy body signal indicates that the electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient has an efficacious effect; and   terminating the application of the electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient based on a determination that indicates that the electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient has an efficacious effect.   
     
     
         17 . The medical device system of  claim 15 , where the method further comprising continuing the application of the electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient based on a determination indicating that the first electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient has not had an efficacious effect. 
     
     
         18 . The medical device system of  claim 17 , where the method continues the electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient for a predetermined duration. 
     
     
         19 . The medical device system of  claim 15 , where the method further comprises terminating the application of the electrical stimulation to the neural target of the patient based on a safety duration constraint. 
     
     
         20 . The medical device system of  claim 15 , the method further comprising applying a second electrical stimulation to a second neural target of the patient.