Non-regular electrical stimulation patterns for treating neurological disorders

Abstract

Systems and methods for stimulation of neurological tissue and generation stimulation trains with temporal patterns of stimulation, in which the interval between electrical pulses (the inter-pulse intervals) changes or varies over time. The features of the stimulation trains may be selected and arranged algorithmically to by clinical trial. These stimulation trains are generated to target a specific neurological disorder, by arranging sets of features which reduce symptoms of that neurological disorder into a pattern which is effective at reducing those symptoms while maintaining or reducing power consumption versus regular stimulation signals. Compared to conventional continuous, high rate pulse trains having regular (i.e., constant) inter-pulse intervals, the non-regular (i.e., not constant) pulse patterns or trains that embody features of the invention provide increased efficacy and/or a lower than average frequency.

Having thus described the invention, we claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 generating a non-regular stimulation pulse train through a computational model of basal ganglia, wherein the computational model suppresses beta band oscillatory activity, wherein the non-regular stimulation pulse train comprises a plurality of pulses having non-regular, non-random, differing inter-pulse intervals therebetween; and   outputting a repeating succession of the non-regular stimulation pulse train through an implantable pulse generator directly to neurological tissue in a brain.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the implantable pulse generator delivers electrical stimulation at a frequency of 100 to 200 Hertz. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the non-regular stimulation pulse train comprises concomitant changes in waveform. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the non-regular stimulation pulse train comprises concomitant changes in amplitude. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the non-regular stimulation pulse train Comprises concomitant changes in duration. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising generating a second non-regular stimulation pulse train and outputting a repeating succession of the second non-regular stimulation pulse train. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the non-regular stimulation pulse train comprises a first frequency and the second non-regular stimulation pulse train comprises a second frequency that varies from the first frequency. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first non-regular stimulation pulse train comprises a first rate of change and the second non-regular stimulation pulse train comprises a second rate of change, wherein the first rate of change is different from the second rate of change preventing thalamic bursting. 
     
     
         9 . A stimulation system comprising:
 an implantable pulse generator;   an electrode in operative communication with the implantable pulse generator; and   a microprocessor positioned in the implantable pulse generator, the microprocessor outputting a repeating succession of a non-regular pulse train, wherein the non-regular pulse train comprises one or more singlets spaced apart by a minimum inter-pulse singlet interval and one or more n-lets comprising, for each et, two or more pulses spaced apart by an inter-pulse interval;   wherein the implantable pulse generator transmits, through the electrode to neurological tissue in a brain the stimulation pulse train to reduce at least one of symptom a neurological disease or disorder.   
     
     
         10 . The stimulation system of  claim 9 , wherein the inter-pulse interval of the n-lets is less than a singlet inter-pulse interval. 
     
     
         11 . The stimulation system of  claim 10 , wherein the inter-pulse interval of the n-lets vary. 
     
     
         12 . The stimulation system of  claim 9 , wherein the implantable pulse generator delivers electrical stimulation at a frequency of 100 to 200 Hertz. 
     
     
         13 . The stimulation system of  claim 9 , wherein the stimulation pulse train has an average frequency of 67.82 Hz or 87.62 Hz. 
     
     
         14 . A stimulation system comprising:
 an implantable pulse generator;   an electrode in operative communication with the implantable pulse generator; and   a microprocessor positioned in the implantable pulse generator, the microprocessor comprising a computational model of basal ganglia;   wherein the implantable pulse generator outputs through the electrode a repeating succession of a non-regular stimulation pulse train comprising at least two plurality of stimulation pulses with non-random and differing intervals free of stimulation pulses between each of the plurality of pulses.   
     
     
         15 . The stimulation system of  claim 14 , wherein the computational model suppresses beta band oscillatory activity. 
     
     
         16 . The stimulation system of  claim 14 , wherein the microprocessor is programmable to change at least one parameter of the non-regular stimulation pulse train. 
     
     
         17 . The stimulation system of  claim 14 , wherein a first frequency of a first of the at least two plurality of stimulation pulses is different from a second frequency of a second one of the at least two plurality of stimulation pulses. 
     
     
         18 . The stimulation system of  claim 14 , wherein the output of simulation pulse trains are structured to suppress beta band oscillatory activity. 
     
     
         19 . The stimulation system of  claim 14 , wherein the output of stimulation pulse trains suppresses oscillatory neural activity. 
     
     
         20 . The stimulation system of  claim 14 , wherein the implantable pulse generator delivers electrical stimulation at a frequency of 100 to 200 Hertz.