Technologies

Alzheimer’s Treatment Feedback With EEG

  • Category: Medical Devices
  • Investment Status: Pre-Seed
  • Medical Field: Neurology
  • Patent Status: PCT
  • Development Status: In development
  • Medical Center: Beilinson
  • Inventors: Dr Amir Glik, Dr Felix Benninger, Prof Miriam Furst-Yust

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive method utilized for brain stimulation. The method uses magnetic induction forces focusing on a particular area of the brain. The electromagnetic induction is generated from a coil using electricity. The generated pulse travels through the cranium to a specified area in the brain.

Applications of transcranial magnetic stimulators include research, diagnostics, and therapeutics.

Therapeutic applications of TMS devices include treatment of -resistant major depression, migraine, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder, among other psychiatric and neurological diseases. Treatment is also used for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients however current available treatment do not use “real time” feedback biomarker during a TMS session.

TMS is currently done without “real time” feedback. Usually after TMS treatment completion Neuropsychological evaluation is performed to measure clinical improvement. These tests are done separately from the treatment and cannot provide “real time” TMS feedback. Hence, TMS calibration and parameter adjustment for the individual patient is not being performed during each session.

There is a need for a “real time” method which can guide parameter adjustment during a TMS session.

The present invention, relates to measurements of EEG microstates in combination with TMS treatment to provide a method for evaluating and adjusting TMS parameters during treatment for Alzheimer’s disease patients.

We have developed an algorithm which analyses EEG records and can differentiate normal brain from demented brain on the basis of microstate parameters. The algorithm was tested on 150 EEG readings and demonstrated significant differences between demented and normal EEG readings.