Description:
Reference #: 01237
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for using a device that modifies brainwave frequencies and establishes coherence between different cortical regions making the personalized treatment of individuals with mental disorders feasible.
Background:
It has been estimated that approximately one in four individuals in the general population meet diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder. Though pharmacological interventions have been employed in the past for psychiatric diagnosis and treatment of these disorders, their sometimes unacceptably high risk of harmful side effects can be an impediment. This invention offers a credible alternative to pharmacological options.
Invention Description:
The subject invention is a sympathetic/passive resonator that has the ability to modify brainwave frequencies and establish coherence between different cortical regions. Given these capabilities, the device is able to stimulate different brain areas to work at the same frequencies. It will also be able to select the necessary brainwave frequency for particular behavioral demands. The device will do so via multiple electrodes attached to the scalp that emit intelligent signals carried by higher frequency ones.
Potential Applications:
The use of sympathetic resonance would be of use in multiple medical conditions including autism, dyslexia, ADHD, major depression and schizophrenia. Low frequencies could be applied to help people fall and remain asleep in cases of insomnia, while portable helmets and higher frequencies could help individuals remain alert as in the case of fighter pilots, traffic controllers, and gamers. In normal individuals it would increase attentional and cognitive skills. The technique could also be combined with neurofeedback and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Advantages and Benefits:
Current therapeutic attempts rely primarily on pharmacological interventions. They contain symptoms rather than provide cure. They also have serious side effects. The subject invention would have little in terms of side effects and would be aimed at some of the core pathological features of mental disorders thus providing hope for a cure. Devices based on entrainment are meant to create resonance with a particular brain region and not necessarily controlling the resultant brainwave frequency. The proposed machine will enable entrainment at specific frequencies and at specific brain sites.