Selective recruitment and activation of fiber types in nerves for the control of undesirable brain state changes

1. A method for selectively recruiting a nerve fiber type of a cranial nerve, a peripheral nerve or a spinal root, comprising:

performing an operation selected from one of heating or cooling a second location of said cranial nerve, said peripheral nerve or said spinal root, said heating or cooling sufficient to temporarily and substantially block at least one of activation or conduction on at least a first fiber type of said cranial nerve, said peripheral nerve or said spinal root for a blocking time period; and

applying an electrical neurostimulation signal to a first location of said cranial nerve, said peripheral nerve or said spinal root during said blocking time period.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting at least a second fiber type of said cranial nerve, said peripheral nerve or said spinal root for stimulation by said electrical neurostimulation signal, wherein said at least a second fiber type is different from said at least a first fiber type.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least a first fiber type population is selected from an A-fiber population, a B-fiber population, or a C-fiber population.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said heating or cooling comprises heating or cooling said cranial nerve, said peripheral nerve or said spinal root to a selected temperature at said second location, and wherein said temperature is programmably selectable.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a first pressure to a third location of said cranial nerve, said peripheral nerve or said spinal root.

6. A medical device system for selectively stimulating a nerve fiber, comprising:

an electrode configured to be coupled to a first location of a nerve, said electrode capable of applying an electrical signal to said first location;

a thermal manipulation unit configured to be coupled to a second location of said nerve, capable of heating or cooling said nerve at said second location; and

a medical device operatively coupled to said electrode and said thermal manipulation unit, said medical device comprising:

a controller;

an electrical signal generator to apply an electrical signal to the first location of said nerve using said electrode; and

a thermal manipulation signal generator to heat or cool said nerve at said second location using said thermal manipulation unit, to temporarily and substantially block at least one of activation or conduction in at least one of an A-fiber population, a B-fiber population, or a C-fiber population of said second location of said nerve.

7. The medical device system of claim 6 , wherein the heating or cooling of the nerve is performed using a cooling or a heating element configured to be placed on the epineurium.

8. The medical device system of claim 6 , wherein the cooling or heating element is intra-neural/intra-fascicular.

9. The medical device system of claim 6 , further comprising:

a nerve pressure device configured to be coupled to a third location of said nerve, capable of applying a first pressure to the third location; and

said medical device further comprising a pressure signal generator to apply said first pressure to said third location of said nerve using said nerve pressure device.

10. The medical device system of claim 6 , wherein at least one parameter defining said electrical signal is programmably selected, said at least one parameter selected from a pulse current, a pulse width, a frequency, an on-time and an off-time.

11. The medical device system of claim 6 , wherein said thermal manipulation unit is programmably selectable for applying a plurality of temperature values and an on-time and an off-time to said second location of said nerve.