Patent ID: 8478412

Claim:
A method of improving sleep in a patient with a centrally mediated sleep disorder by using a system comprising an external stimulator and one or more electrodes configured for implantation in a diaphragm for stimulation of the diaphragm, the method comprising: adapting stimulation parameters to support respiration during sleep, stimulating the diaphragm in a therapeutic regimen with the one or more electrodes to support respiration after the onset of sleep, the regimen including the adapted stimulation parameters, the stimulation operating independently of any intrinsic respiratory effort of the patient, the stimulation comprising one or more stimulation pulses configured to initiate a breath and support the breath to completion; and after implementing the therapeutic regimen, evaluating the patient again for presence of sleep disordered breathing by any one or more diagnostic criteria including morning headaches, daytime sleepiness, polysomnography (PSG) recordings consistent with disordered sleep, diaphragm electromyography (EMG) recordings during sleep consistent with disordered sleep, or pulmonary function test data consistent with disordered sleep.