Systems and methods for altering brain and body functions and for treating conditions and diseases of the same

A method of treating a patient with impaired motor control or function due to a nervous system impairment comprising:

• A) having the patient participate in a rehabilitative therapy program comprising physical movement or exercise, wherein the patient's ability to perform the physical movement or exercise is inhibited by the patient's nervous system impairment;
• B) providing electrotactile stimulation to the patient's tongue while the patient concurrently engages in a physical movement or exercise of the rehabilitative therapy program, wherein the physical movement or exercise comprises a body stabilization exercise and wherein the electrotactile stimulation:
• 1) is provided by an array of electrodes in contact with the top surface of the patient's tongue, wherein the array of electrodes is in communication with a processor configured to:
• a) receive information from a program or detector;
• b) process or translate the information into a pattern to be transmitted to the array;
• and
• c) transmit the patterned information to the array to be displayed as electrical stimulation;
• 2) stimulates one or more cranial nerves of the subject;
• and
• 3) assists the subject in activating, utilizing, and/or training a portion of the brain to learn a task related to the rehabilitative therapy previously facilitated by a region of the brain damaged by the nervous system impairment;
• C) ceasing the physical movement or exercise and electrotactile stimulation;
• and
• D) repeating steps (B) and (C) until such time that the patient displays a rehabilitative improvement of motor control or function that persists after ceasing the physical movement or exercise and electrotactile stimulation.