Nerve-branch-specific action-potential activation, inhibition, and monitoring

A method comprising:

• providing a proximal electrode configuration, on a nerve trunk, on a proximal side, with respect to the brain, of a junction of said nerve trunk with a preselected nerve branch, so as to communicate with:
• i. first nerve fibers of said nerve trunk, which at said junction remain with said nerve trunk, and
• ii. second nerve fibers of said nerve trunk that branch into said preselected nerve branch;
• providing a distal electrode configuration, on said nerve trunk, on a distal side of said junction, so as to communicate with said first nerve fibers and not with said second nerve fibers;
• providing an electronic unit, in signal communication with said proximal and distal electrode configurations;
• and
• generating efferent action-potential propagations, substantially restricted to said second nerve fibers, of said preselected nerve branch, by:
• generating, by said proximal electrode configuration, distally moving action potential propagations along said first and second nerve fibers, and
• generating, by said distal electrode configuration, proximally moving action potential propagations along said first nerve fibers, such that said distally and proximally moving action potential propagations along said first nerve fibers collide and block each other, while said distally moving action potential propagations along said second nerve fibers propagate into said preselected nerve branch.

A method for generating efferent action potential propagations substantially restricted to a preselected nerve branch that branches from a nerve trunk at a junction, said nerve trunk including first nerve fibers that do not branch into said nerve branch, and second nerve fibers that branch into said nerve branch, said method comprising:

• applying first and second currents at first and second sites on proximal and distal sides, with respect to a brain, of said junction, respectively;
• and
• generating said efferent action potential propagations substantially restricted to said nerve branch by:
• configuring said first current to generate distally moving action potential propagations along said first and second nerve fibers, and
• configuring said second current to generate proximally moving action potential propagations along said first nerve fibers, such that said distally and proximally moving action potential propagations along said first nerve fibers collide and block each other, while said distally moving action potential propagations along said second nerve fibers propagate into said nerve branch.