A method of electrically stimulating one or more cranial nerves in a head or neck of a patient to treat a mood disorder or mood affective disorder of the patient, comprising:
- providing or implanting beneath skin of the patient's head or neck an implantable neurostimulator comprising a hermetically sealed flexible housing, one or more flex circuits comprising one or more electrical conductors, pulse generation circuitry operably connected to the one or more flex circuits, at least one medical electrical lead comprising at least one stimulation electrode, the lead being operably connected to the pulse generation circuitry through at least one of the one or more electrical conductors of the one or more flex circuits, at least portions of the lead being formed on or in, or forming a portion of, the one or more of the flex circuits, and at least one of power, energy and electrical charge receiving circuitry operably connected to the pulse generation circuitry and configured to receive power, energy or electrical charge signals transcutaneously from an external power source and external power transmitting circuitry associated therewith, wherein the lead comprises proximal and distal portions, the at least one stimulation electrode is disposed distally from the proximal portion of the lead, the pulse generation circuitry, the power, energy and electrical charge receiving circuitry, and at least portions of the one or more flex circuits are disposed within the flexible housing, the implantable neurostimulator is sized, shaped and configured to be implanted in the head or neck of the patient beneath the patient's skin and positioned adjacent to, in contact with, or in operative positional relationship to, the one or more target cranial nerves, and further wherein the implantable neurostimulator and the lead thereof are sized, shaped and configured to electrically stimulate one or more of a facial nerve or portion thereof, a trigeminal nerve or portion thereof, a hypoglossal nerve or portion thereof, a cranial portion of a vagus nerve, a glossopharyngeal nerve or portion thereof, an auricular branch of the vagus nerve or portion thereof, a tympanic branch of the vagus nerve or portion thereof, a superior ganglion branch of the vagus nerve or portion thereof, an olfactory nerve or portion thereof, an optic nerve or portion thereof, an oculomotor nerve or portion thereof, an abducens nerve or portion thereof, a vestibulocochlear nerve or portion thereof, and a spinal accessory nerve or portion thereof, and
- electrically stimulating the one or more cranial nerves of the patient with the implantable neurostimulator to treat the mood disorder or mood affective disorder.