Gastrointestinal neuromodulation and associated systems and methods

Abstract

Methods for treating gastrointestinal conditions, conditions associated with sympathetic and/or parasympathetic activity in the gastrointestinal organs, and conditions associated with central sympathetic and/or parasympathetic activity in a patient with therapeutic gastrointestinalneuromodulation and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. One aspect of the present technology is directed to methods that at least partially inhibit sympathetic neural activity in nerves proximate a gastrointestinal artery of a gastrointestinal organ of a patient. Sympathetic drive in the patient can thereby be reduced in a manner that treats the patient for the gastrointestinal condition.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 : A method of treating a human patient diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disorder, the method comprising:
 intravascularly positioning a neuromodulation assembly within a gastrointestinal blood vessel of the patient and adjacent to a target gastrointestinal nerve of the patient; and   reducing sympathetic neural activity in the patient by delivering energy to the target gastrointestinal nerve via the neuromodulation assembly to modulate a function of the gastrointestinal nerve, wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity improves a measurable physiological parameter corresponding to the inflammatory bowel disorder.   
     
     
         24 : The method of  claim 23 , wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity in the patient comprises delivering a thermal electric field to the sympathetic neural fibers via at least one wall-contact electrode. 
     
     
         25 : The method of  claim 23 , wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity in the patient comprises delivering a thermal electric field to the sympathetic neural fibers via a multi-electrode array positioned within a gastrointestinal blood vessel of the human patient diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disorder. 
     
     
         26 : The method of  claim 23 , wherein the improvement in the measurable physiological parameter is detectable within 3 months following the reducing sympathetic neural activity in the patient by delivering energy to the gastrointestinal nerve. 
     
     
         27 : The method of  claim 23 , wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity in the patient causes a reduction in gastrointestinal sympathetic activity of the human patient diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disorder. 
     
     
         28 : The method of  claim 23 , wherein intravascularly positioning the neuromodulation assembly comprises positioning the neuromodulation assembly within at least one of (a) the superior mesenteric artery of the subject or a branch thereof, (b) the inferior mesenteric artery of the subject or a branch thereof, or (c) a blood vessel or duct of a stomach of the human patient. 
     
     
         29 : The method of  claim 23 , wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity in the human patient further comprises reducing muscle sympathetic nerve activity in the patient. 
     
     
         30 : The method of  claim 23 , wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity in the patient further comprises reducing whole body norepinephrine spillover in the human patient. 
     
     
         31 : The method of  claim 23 , wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity comprises at least partially inhibiting efferent neural activity. 
     
     
         32 : The method of  claim 23 , wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity comprises at least partially ablating the target gastrointestinal nerve. 
     
     
         33 : The method of  claim 23 , wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity comprises delivering at least one of radio frequency energy, ultrasound energy, high intensity ultrasound energy, laser energy, or microwave energy via the neuromodulation assembly. 
     
     
         34 : The method of  claim 23 , wherein reducing sympathetic neural activity causes a reduction in an amount of medication taken by the patient. 
     
     
         35 : The method of  claim 23 , wherein the inflammatory bowel disorder comprises at least one of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, collagenous colitis, lymphocytic colitis, ischaemic colitis, diversion colitis, or Behcet's disease.