Methods and systems for treating one or more effects of deafferentation

1. A method of treating one or more effects of deafferentation caused by the lack of sensory input of a missing or dysfunctional end organ of a patient, said method comprising:

generating a stimulus in accordance with one or more stimulation parameters that mimic a normal tonic activity that would originate from said end organ, wherein said stimulus matches an amplitude, pattern, and rate of said normal tonic activity that would originate from said end organ; and

applying said stimulus to a stimulation site within said patient, thereby treating said one or more effects of deafferentation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said stimulus prevents a brain of said patient from reorganizing a number of neural connections within said brain to compensate for said deafferentation.

3. The method of claim 1 , where said one or more stimulation parameters comprises a frequency of about 60 to 100 Hertz.

4. The method of claim 1 , where said one or more effects of said deafferentation comprise at least one or more of pain associated with said deafferentation, a phantom limb syndrome, a phantom auditory experience associated with said deafferentation, deafness, a phantom visual effect associated with said deafferentation, and blindness.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said stimulus comprises an electrical stimulation current.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said stimulus comprises one or more drugs.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sensing at least one indicator related to said one or more effects of said deafferentation and using said at least one sensed indicator to adjust said one or more of said stimulation parameters.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said stimulation site comprises at least one of a location within a brain and a spinal cord of said patient.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said location comprises at least one of a temporal lobe, a frontal lobe, a occipital lobe, a parietal lobe, a limbic system structure, a cerebellum, a brainstem, a cerebral cortex, a cochlear nerve, a visual cortex, an optic radiation, a Brodmann's area, a superior olivary complex, an inferior colliculus, an auditory cortex, and a cerebral ventricle.

10. A method of treating one or more effects of deafferentation caused by the lack of sensory input of a missing or dysfunctional end organ of a patient, the method comprising:

implanting a stimulator within said patient;

programming said stimulator with one or more stimulation parameters; and

applying at least one stimulus with said stimulator to a stimulation site within said patient in accordance with said one or more stimulation parameters, wherein said stimulus matches an amplitude, pattern, and rate of said normal tonic activity that would originate from said end organ;

wherein said one or more stimulation parameters and resulting stimulus are configured to mimic a normal tonic activity that would originate from said end organ, thereby treating said one or more effects of deafferentation.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said one or more stimulation parameters are configured to cause said stimulus to prevent a brain of said patient from reorganizing a number of neural connections within said brain to compensate for said deafferentation.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said one or more stimulation parameters comprises a frequency of about 60 to 100 Hertz.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising sensing at least one indicator related to said one or more effects of said deafferentation and using said at least one sensed indicator to adjust one or more of said stimulation parameters.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein said stimulation site comprises at least one of a location within a brain and a spinal cord of said patient.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said location comprises at least one of a temporal lobe, a frontal lobe, a occipital lobe, a parietal lobe, a limbic system structure, a cerebellum, a brainstem, a cerebral cortex, a cochlear nerve, a visual cortex, an optic radiation, a Brodmann's area, a superior olivary complex, an inferior colliculus, an auditory cortex, and a cerebral ventricle.