System and method for locating and identifying the functional nerves innervating the wall of arteries

A method of mapping parasympathetic or sympathetic renal nerve for treatment of disease caused by systemic renal nerve hyperactivity, comprising the steps of:

• a) introducing a catheter into the lumen of a renal artery such that the tip of said catheter contacts a site on the inner renal artery wall;
• b) measuring one or more physiological parameters to obtain baseline measurements before introducing electrical current to the site, said one or more physiological parameters are selected from the group consisting of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate;
• c) applying electrical stimulation by introducing electrical current to the site via the catheter, wherein said electrical current is controlled to be sufficient to elicit changes in said one or more physiological parameters when there is an underlying nerve at the site;
• and
• d) measuring said one or more physiological parameters at a specific time interval after each electrical stimulation, wherein an increase of said one or more physiological parameters over the baseline measurements after said electrical stimulation would indicate that a sympathetic renal nerve has been mapped at said site;
• a decrease of said one or more physiological parameters over the baseline measurements after said electrical stimulation would indicate that a parasympathetic renal nerve has been mapped at said site.