Method and system for altering regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) by providing complex and/or rectangular electrical pulses to vagus nerve(s), to provide therapy for depression and other medical disorders

A method of providing complex and/or rectangular electrical pulses to a vagus nerve for treating or alleviating the symptoms of depression by altering regional CBF and/or neurochemicals in the brain, comprising the steps of:

• providing pulse generation means capable of generating complex and rectangular electrical pulses, wherein said complex electrical pulses comprises at least one of multi-level pulses, biphasic pulses, non-rectangular pulses, or pulses with varying amplitude during the pulse;
• providing a lead in electrical connection with said pulse generation means and with at least one electrode adapted to be in contact with said vagus nerve;
• and
• activating said pulse generation means to provide said complex and/or rectangular electrical pulses to vagus nerve, its branches or part(s) thereof for altering regional CBF and/or neurochemicals in the brain.

A method of stimulating and/or blocking a vagus nerve, its branches or parts thereof to alter regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and/or to alter neurochemicals in the brain with complex and/or rectangular electrical pulses, wherein said complex electrical pulses comprises at least one of multi-level pulses, biphasic pulses, non-rectangular pulses, or pulses with varying amplitude during the pulse, comprises the steps of:

• providing pulse generation means for generating complex and/or rectangular electrical pulses, which is one from a group comprising:
• i) an external stimulator used in conjunction with an implanted stimulus-receiver comprising a high value capacitor for storing electric charge;
• ii) a microstimulator;
• iii) a programmable implantable pulse generator (IPG);
• iv) a combination implantable device comprising both a programmable implantable pulse generator (IPG) and a stimulus-receiver;
• v) a programmable implantable pulse generator (IPG) having a rechargeable battery;
• providing a lead in electrical connection with said pulse generation means, and with at least one electrode adapted to be in contact with said vagus nerve;
• and
• activating said pulse generation means to provide said rectangular and/or complex electrical pulses to selectively stimulate and/or block said vagus nerve, its branches or part(s) thereof.