Non-Invasive Treatment of Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

Methods and devices are disclosed for the non-invasive treatment of Parkinson's disease through the delivery of energy to target nervous tissue, particularly the vagus nerve. The methods and devices transmit an electrical impulse transcutaneously through an outer skin surface of the patient to modulate activity of the vagus nerve to treat one or more symptoms of Parkinson's disease. This modulation may inhibit neuroinflammation and/or increase levels of at least one neurotrophic factor to promote the survival of dopamine producing cells in patients suffering from the conditions of Parkinson's disease.

1 . A device for treating Parkinson's disease, the apparatus comprising:
 one or more electrodes having a contact surface configured for contacting an outer skin surface of a patient;   a power source coupled to the electrodes, wherein the power source is configured to generate one or more electrical impulses and to transmit the electrical impulses to the electrodes and transcutaneously through the outer skin surface of the patient at or near a target nerve, wherein the one or more electrical impulses is sufficient to modulate the target nerve and treat one or more symptoms of the Parkinson's disease.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a housing, wherein the power source is housed within the housing and the electrodes are coupled to the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more electrodes are housed within the housing. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the one or more electrical impulses is sufficient to modulate activity of the target nerve to inhibit inflammation in the patient. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a signal generator coupled to the power source, wherein the signal generator generates the one or more electrical impulses, wherein the one or more electrical pulses comprises bursts of 2 to 20 pulses within each burst, wherein each burst has a frequency of about 5 Hz to about 100 Hz. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein each burst of pulses comprises a burst period and a constant period, wherein each burst period and constant period together have a combined frequency from about 15 Hz to about 50 Hz, and, wherein the pulses alternate between a positive voltage and a negative voltage within each of the burst periods. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein each pulse has a duration of about 20 to about 1000 microseconds. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the pulses are not generated by the signal generator during the constant periods. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the one or more electrical impulses is sufficient to inhibit release of a pro-inflammatory cytokine. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the pro-inflammatory cytokine is tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha or tumor growth factor (TGF)-beta. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrical impulses is sufficient to enhance an anti-inflammatory competence of a cytokine in the patient. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the target nerve is a vagus nerve of the patient, and the outer skin surface is a neck of the patient. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrical impulses are sufficient to increase levels of at least one neurotrophic factor in a brain of the patient. 
     
     
         14 . A method for treating Parkinson's disease, the method comprising:
 positioning one or more electrodes in contact with an outer skin surface of the patient;   generating one or more electrical impulses; and   transmitting the one or more electrical impulses to the one or more electrodes and transcutaneously through the outer skin surface of the patient at or near a target nerve within the patient, wherein the one or more electrical impulses is sufficient to modulate the target nerve and treat one or more symptoms of the Parkinson's disease.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more electrical impulses are generated within a housing and transmitted to the one or more electrodes within the housing. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more electrical impulses is sufficient to modulate activity of the target nerve to inhibit inflammation in the patient. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more electrical impulses is generated by further a signal generator, wherein the one or more electrical pulses comprises bursts of 2 to 20 pulses within each burst, wherein each burst has a frequency of about 5 Hz to about 100 Hz. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein each burst of pulses comprises a burst period and a constant period, wherein each burst period and constant period together have a combined frequency from about 15 Hz to about 50 Hz, and, wherein the pulses alternate between a positive voltage and a negative voltage within each of the burst periods. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein each pulse has a duration of about 20 to about 1000 microseconds. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising generating zero pulses during the constant periods. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more electrical impulses is sufficient to inhibit release of a pro-inflammatory cytokine. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the pro-inflammatory cytokine is tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha or tumor growth factor (TGF)-beta. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more electrical impulses is sufficient to enhance an anti-inflammatory competence of a cytokine in the patient. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the target nerve is a vagus nerve of the patient, and the outer skin surface is a neck of the patient. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more electrical impulses are sufficient to increase levels of at least one neurotrophic factor in a brain of the patient.