Device and method for auditory stimulation

摘要

A device and method for desynchronizing a patient's neuronal brain activity involving a neuron population firing in a pathologically synchronized manner. The device includes a stimulation unit configured to generate an acoustic stimulation signal to stimulate the neuron population when the acoustic stimulation signal is aurally received by the patient. Furthermore, the acoustic stimulation signal has a first frequency and a second frequency, with the first frequency provided to reset the phase of the neuronal brain activity in a first sub-population of the stimulated neuron population, and the second frequency provided to reset the phase of the neuronal brain activity in a second sub-population of the stimulated neuron population.

主权项

1. A device for desynchronizing a patient's neuronal brain activity involving a neuron population firing in a pathologically synchronized manner, the device comprising:
a stimulation unit configured to generate an acoustic stimulation signal to stimulate the neuron population when the acoustic stimulation signal is aurally received by the patient; a measurement unit configured to record a measurement signal on a patient, which measurement signal reproduces the neuronal activity in an auditory cortex of the patient or a region connected thereto; and a control unit configured to actuate the stimulation unit based on the measurement signal such that the stimulation unit converts the measurement signal into the acoustic stimulation signal, wherein the control unit is further configured to:
process the measurement signal in a linear or nonlinear fashion,modulate amplitudes of a plurality of purely sinusoidal oscillations with the processed measurement signal to generate a plurality of acoustic control stimulation signals that are offset in time from each other, andfeed the plurality of acoustic control stimulation signals into the stimulation unit to generate a plurality of acoustic stimulation signals offset in time from each other.