The claims “cover a system and method including a wearable apparatus to position an array of electrodes on the surface of the scalp, provide low dose stimulation to the brain using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and delivering this stimulation during different stages of sleep,” according to a news release from Great Lakes NeuroTechnologies.
While deep brain stimulation has shown efficacy for treating movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, “non-invasive technologies such as tDCS may provide additional options for patients,” the company says. Delivering stimulation therapy during sleep “may target brain states likely to improve motor symptoms, as well as minimize patient burden since the therapy would occur while they are sleeping.”
Dustin Heldman, PhD, principal investigator and biomedical research manager at Great Lakes NeuroTechnologies, said, “While most of our previous work has focused on diagnostics for Parkinson's disease, we also recognize new opportunities for therapy could have a significant impact on patient quality of life."
He added, "There is evidence that treating the brain with transcranial direct current stimulation using a non-invasive system can improve Parkinson's symptoms. While current approaches aim to target the location of stimulation to the brain, this approach is targeting the timing of stimulation, by delivering it during sleep."
The project will be led by Shanhu Lee, Ph.D., associate professor of environmental health sciences in Kent State's College of Public Health.
Dr. Lee's research is a component of the broad community experiment, SOAS, designed to further investigate the oxidation of the emissions (biogenic volatile organic compounds, or BVOCs) of plants in the context of the atmospheric environment of the southeast United States, Kent State says.
That project is part of a bigger collaboration, the Southeast Atmosphere Study, which is conducting a field campaign this summer in Brent, Ala. There are two research aircrafts taking measurements along with ground-based measurements. Dr. Lee's group is one of about 30 research groups that is doing ground-based measurements, according to Kent State.
The university says SOAS is one of the largest atmospheric field studies taking place in the United States. The campaign is co-sponsored by the NSF, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The purpose of the campaign “is to understand the chemical and physical mechanisms related to air pollution and climate change,” Dr. Lee says.
The kits “bring together the simplicity of all-in-one audiobooks and their print version to deliver a fun and educational read-along experience to patrons of all ages,” according to the library. Users simply borrow and press “play.” No other device is needed.
Among popular titles available in this format are “Charlotte's Web,” “The Hunger Games,” “The Book Thief,” “Amelia Bedelia” and “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”
Patrons will find Playaway Bookpacks at Bainbridge, Chardon, Geauga West and Middlefield libraries.
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