Abstract: A method for assessment, optimization and logging of the effects of a therapy for a medical condition, including (a) receiving into a signal processor input signals indicative of the subject's brain activity; (b) characterizing the spatio-temporal behavior of the brain activity using the signals; (c) delivering a therapy to a target tissue of the subject; (d) characterizing the spatio-temporal effect of the therapy on the brain activity; (e) in response to the characterizing, optimizing at least one parameter of the therapy if the brain activity has not been satisfactorily modified and/or has been adversely modified by the therapy; (f) characterizing the spatio-temporal effect of the at least one optimized parameter; and (g) logging to memory the at least one optimized parameter. A computer readable program storage unit encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs the method.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for treating epilepsy by stimulating a main trunk of a vagus nerve, or a left vagus nerve, when the patient has had no seizure or a seizure that is not characterized by cardiac changes such as an increase in heart rate, and stimulating a cardiac branch of a vagus nerve, or a right vagus nerve, when the patient has had a seizure characterized by cardiac changes such as a heart rate increase.

Abstract: A method, comprising detecting, in at least a first brain region of a patient, an electrical activity relating to an epileptic activity; determining a first regularity index of said electrical activity; and applying at least one first electrical stimulation to at least one neural target of said patient for treating said epileptic event, in response to said first regularity index being within a first range. A non-transitive, computer-readable storage device for storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform the method. A medical device system suitable for use in the method.

Abstract: A method, comprising receiving at least one of a signal relating to a first cardiac activity and a signal relating to a first body movement from a patient; triggering at least one of a test of the patient's responsiveness, awareness, a second cardiac activity, a second body movement, a spectral analysis test of the second cardiac activity, and a spectral analysis test of the second body movement, based on at least one of the signal relating to the first cardiac activity and the signal relating to the first body movement; determining an occurrence of an epileptic event based at least in part on said one or more triggered tests; and performing a further action in response to said determination of said occurrence of said epileptic event. Further methods allow classification of epileptic events. Apparatus and systems capable of implementing the method.

Abstract: A method, comprising receiving at least one of a signal relating to a first cardiac activity and a signal relating to a first body movement from a patient; triggering at least one of a test of the patient's responsiveness, awareness, a second cardiac activity, a second body movement, a spectral analysis test of the second cardiac activity, and a spectral analysis test of the second body movement, based on at least one of the signal relating to the first cardiac activity and the signal relating to the first body movement; determining an occurrence of an epileptic event based at least in part on said one or more triggered tests; and performing a further action in response to said determination of said occurrence of said epileptic event. Further methods allow classification of epileptic events. Apparatus and systems capable of implementing the method.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for treating epilepsy by stimulating a main trunk of a vagus nerve, or a left vagus nerve, when the patient has had no seizure or a seizure that is not characterized by cardiac changes such as an increase in heart rate, and stimulating a cardiac branch of a vagus nerve, or a right vagus nerve, when the patient has had a seizure characterized by cardiac changes such as a heart rate increase.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for treating epilepsy by stimulating a main trunk of a vagus nerve, or a left vagus nerve, when the patient has had no seizure or a seizure that is not characterized by cardiac changes such as an increase in heart rate, and stimulating a cardiac branch of a vagus nerve, or a right vagus nerve, when the patient has had a seizure characterized by cardiac changes such as a heart rate increase.

Abstract: A method, comprising receiving a time series of patient body signal, determining first and second sliding time windows for the time series; applying an autoregression algorithm, comprising: applying an autoregression analysis to each of the first and second windows, yielding autoregression coefficients and a residual variance for each window; estimating a parameter vector for each window based on the autoregression coefficients and residual variances; and determining a difference between the parameter vectors; and determining seizure onset and seizure termination based on the difference between the parameter vectors. A non-transitory computer readable program storage unit encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method.

Abstract: A method, comprising receiving a time series of patient body signal, determining first and second sliding time windows for the time series; applying an autoregression algorithm, comprising: applying an autoregression analysis to each of the first and second windows, yielding autoregression coefficients and a residual variance for each window; estimating a parameter vector for each window based on the autoregression coefficients and residual variances; and determining a difference between the parameter vectors; and determining seizure onset and seizure termination based on the difference between the parameter vectors. A non-transitory computer readable program storage unit encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for treating epilepsy by stimulating a main trunk of a vagus nerve, or a left vagus nerve, when the patient has had no seizure or a seizure that is not characterized by cardiac changes such as an increase in heart rate, and stimulating a cardiac branch of a vagus nerve, or a right vagus nerve, when the patient has had a seizure characterized by cardiac changes such as a heart rate increase.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for treating epilepsy by stimulating a main trunk of a vagus nerve, or a left vagus nerve, when the patient has had no seizure or a seizure that is not characterized by cardiac changes such as an increase in heart rate, and stimulating a cardiac branch of a vagus nerve, or a right vagus nerve, when the patient has had a seizure characterized by cardiac changes such as a heart rate increase.

Abstract: A method of distinguishing a non-epileptic seizure from an epileptic seizure in a patient, comprising: detecting a seizure in a patient based on at least one first body signal of the patient selected from an autonomic signal, a neurologic signal, a metabolic signal, an endocrine signal, and a tissue stress marker signal; analyzing at least one second body signal of the patient selected from an autonomic signal, a neurologic signal, a metabolic signal, an endocrine signal, and a tissue stress marker signal; determining, based on the analyzing, at least a first classification index comprising at least one of an epileptic seizure index and a non-epileptic seizure index; and classifying the seizure as one of a non-epileptic seizure or an epileptic seizure based on the at least a first classification index. A medical device system capable of implementing the method. A computer-readable device for storing data that, when executed, perform the method.

Abstract: A method, comprising receiving a time series of patient body signal, determining first and second sliding time windows for the time series; applying an autoregression algorithm, comprising: applying an autoregression analysis to each of the first and second windows, yielding autoregression coefficients and a residual variance for each window; estimating a parameter vector for each window based on the autoregression coefficients and residual variances; and determining a difference between the parameter vectors; and determining seizure onset and seizure termination based on the difference between the parameter vectors. A non-transitory computer readable program storage unit encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for treating epilepsy by stimulating a main trunk of a vagus nerve, or a left vagus nerve, when the patient has had no seizure or a seizure that is not characterized by cardiac changes such as an increase in heart rate, and stimulating a cardiac branch of a vagus nerve, or a right vagus nerve, when the patient has had a seizure characterized by cardiac changes such as a heart rate increase.

Abstract: A method, comprising receiving a time series of patient body signal, determining first and second sliding time windows for the time series; applying an autoregression algorithm, comprising: applying an autoregression analysis to each of the first and second windows, yielding autoregression coefficients and a residual variance for each window; estimating a parameter vector for each window based on the autoregression coefficients and residual variances; and determining a difference between the parameter vectors; and determining seizure onset and seizure termination based on the difference between the parameter vectors. A non-transitory computer readable program storage unit encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method.

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.

Abstract: We report a method of treating an epileptic seizure in a patient, comprising: detecting said epileptic seizure, based on body data from said patient; and reducing a flow of blood to a brain of said patient in response to said detected seizure; wherein said reducing is effected by: increasing the parasympathetic input to said patient's heart, such as by electrically stimulating a parasympathetic nervous structure, applying cooling energy to a sympathetic nervous structure, or administering a cholinergic or a sympatho-blocking agent to said patient. We also report a medical device system configured to implement the method. We also report a non-transitory computer readable program storage unit encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for treating epilepsy by stimulating a main trunk of a vagus nerve, or a left vagus nerve, when the patient has had no seizure or a seizure that is not characterized by cardiac changes such as an increase in heart rate, and stimulating a cardiac branch of a vagus nerve, or a right vagus nerve, when the patient has had a seizure characterized by cardiac changes such as a heart rate increase.

Abstract: A method of determining a responsiveness of a patient having brain state changes, comprising receiving an indication of a triggering event; administering to the patient, in response to the indication, a test of responsiveness; determining, based upon a result of the test, at least one responsiveness parameter selected from the group consisting of (i) a time of occurrence of a change in the patient's responsiveness, (ii) a duration of a change in the patient's responsiveness; (iii) a magnitude of a change in the patient's responsiveness, (iv) a time interval from the indication of event occurrence to a change in the patient's responsiveness, (v) a type of change in the patient's responsiveness, (vi) an estimation of a seizure severity; (vii) a classification of a seizure into clinical or subclinical; (viii) a classification of a clinical seizure into simple partial, complex partial, or generalized; (ix) an assessment of efficacy of a therapy for the patient's medical condition; (x) an assessment of the state o

Abstract: A method for determining and responding in real-time to an increased risk of death relating to a patient with epilepsy is provided. The method includes receiving cardiac data and determining a cardiac index based upon the cardiac data. The method includes determining an increased risk of death associated with epilepsy if the indices are extreme, issuing a warning of the increased risk of death and logging information related to the increased risk of death. Also presented is a second method for determining and responding in real-time to an increased risk of death relating to a patient with epilepsy comprising receiving at least one of arousal data, responsiveness data or awareness data and determining an arousal index, a responsiveness index or an awareness index, where the indices are based on arousal data, responsiveness data or awareness data respectively.