Implantable damping devices for treating dementia and associated systems and methods of use

A dementia treatment and/or slowing device comprising:

• a damping member having a low-profile state and a deployed state, wherein, in the deployed state, the damping member comprises a deformable, generally tubular sidewall having an outer surface and an inner surface that is undulating in a longitudinal direction, and wherein the sidewall is configured to be positioned in apposition with a blood vessel wall to absorb pulsatile energy transmitted by blood flowing through the blood vessel,
• wherein a longitudinal distance between first and second ends of the device remain generally constant during the increase and a decrease in pulse pressure.

A dementia treatment and/or slowing device comprising:

• an elastic member having a low-profile state for delivery to a treatment site at a blood vessel wall and a deployed state, wherein, in the deployed state, the elastic member is configured to abut an arterial wall and form a generally tubular structure having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, an outer surface, and an undulating inner surface, and
• wherein at least one of the outer diameter and the inner diameter increases and decreases in response to an increase and a decrease in pulse pressure within the blood vessel, respectively;
• wherein a longitudinal distance between first and second ends of the device remain generally constant during the increase and the decrease in pulse pressure.

A dementia treatment and/or slowing device comprising:

• a damping member including an abating substance, the damping member having a low-profile configuration and a deployed configuration,
• wherein, when the damping member is in the deployed configuration, the damping member forms a generally tubular structure configured to be positioned along a circumference of an artery such that, when a pulse wave traveling through the artery applies a stress at a first axial location along a length of the tubular structure, at least a portion of the abating substance moves away from the first location and to a second axial location positioned along the length of the tubular structure.

A dementia treatment and/or slowing device comprising:

• a damping member including a plurality of generally non-compressible fluid particles, the damping member having a low-profile configuration and a deployed configuration, wherein, when the damping member is in the deployed configuration, the damping member is configured to be positioned along a circumference of an artery at a treatment site along a length of the artery,
• wherein, when the damping member is in a deployed configuration and positioned at the treatment site, a wavefront traveling through the length of the artery redistributes at least a portion of the fluid particles along a length of the damping member such that a first inner diameter of the damping member increases at a first axial location along the damping member that is aligned with the wavefront, while a second inner diameter of the damping member at a second axial location along the damping member decreases;
• wherein, in the deployed configuration, the damping member is configured to externally wrap around at least a portion of the circumference of the artery.

(canceled)

-85. (canceled)

A method of treating or slowing the effects of dementia, comprising:

• positioning a damping member along a length of an artery, the damping member including an abating substance;
• and
• in response to a pulse wave traveling through blood in the artery, redistributing at least a portion of the abating substance along a length of the damping member, thereby attenuating at least some energy of the pulse wave in the blood.

A method of treating or slowing the effects of dementia, comprising:

• positioning a damping member along a length of an artery, the damping member including a plurality of generally non-compressible fluid particles;
• and
• moving a portion of the fluid particles away from an axial location along the damping member that is aligned with a wavefront of a pulse wave traveling through the blood in the artery, thereby increasing an inner diameter of the damping member.

-89. (canceled)

A dementia treatment and/or slowing device, comprising:

• an elastic member configured to abut an arterial wall of a blood vessel and form a generally tubular structure having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, an outer surface, and an undulating inner surface,
• wherein at least one of the outer diameter and the inner diameter increases and decreases in response to an increase and a decrease in pulse pressure within the blood vessel, respectively,
• wherein the outer surface has a generally cylindrical shape.

-115. (canceled)

A dementia treatment and/or slowing device comprising:

• a damping member including an abating substance, wherein the damping member forms a generally tubular structure having an axis, wherein the abating substance is able to move axially through the damping member relative to the tubular structure, and wherein the damping member is configured to be positioned along a circumference of an artery such that, when a pulse wave traveling through the artery applies a stress at a first axial location along a length of the tubular structure, at least a portion of the abating substance moves away from the first axial location to a second axial location along the length of the tubular structure.

A dementia treatment and/or slowing device comprising:

• a damping member including a plurality of fluid particles;
• wherein the fluid particles are generally non-compressible and move axially along at least a portion of a length of the damping member, the damping member configured to be positioned along a circumference of an artery at a treatment site along a length of the artery, wherein, when the damping member is in a deployed configuration and positioned at the treatment site, a wavefront traveling through the length of the artery redistributes at least a portion of the fluid particles along the length of the damping member such that an inner diameter of the damping member increases at a first axial location along the damping member that is aligned with the wavefront while the inner diameter of the damping member at a second axial location along the damping member decreases.

-144. (canceled)

145-214. (canceled)