Patent ID: 8838239

Claim:
An implantable device for delivering cardiac therapy to a patient, comprising: one or more pulse generators for incorporating into one or more pacing channels for delivering pacing pulses and for incorporating into a parasympathetic stimulation channel for delivering neural stimulation pulse in order to stimulate parasympathetic nerve activity; a sensing amplifier for incorporating into a sensing channel for detecting cardiac activity; a controller for controlling the delivery of pacing pulses to one or more ventricular sites during a cardiac cycle in accordance with a programmed pacing mode; wherein the controller is programmed to measure heart rate from the detected cardiac activity and determine an autonomic balance of the patient based upon heart rate variability; wherein the controller is programmed to deliver ventricular pacing in a manner which pre-excites a region of the ventricular myocardium so as to mechanically unload that region during systole; wherein the controller is further programmed to deliver neural stimulation via the parasympathetic stimulation channel; wherein the controller is programmed to perform an assessment of cardiac function and to modulate the delivery of the ventricular pacing and neural stimulation in accordance with the assessment of cardiac function, wherein the assessment of cardiac function includes the determined autonomic balance.