Multiple Sclerosis
A 55-year-old female chronic progressive multiple sclerosis patient who received
a single external application of low magnetic fields (7.5-picotesla; 5-Hz frequency)
which lasted 20 minutes. The treatment quickly led to improvements in a variety
of areas, including fatigue, sleep, vision, bladder function, movement and speech
problems, and mood.
Three patients suffering from long-time symptoms of multiple sclerosis who received treatment with extra cerebral pulsed electromagnetic fields over a period of between 6 and 18 months. Results showed all three patients experienced significant improvements in cognitive functions. Cases of two chronic multiple sclerosis patients exhibiting severe speech problems. Symptoms were completely resolved following 3-4 weeks of treatment with pulsed electromagnetic fields.
This article reports on the cases of three multiple sclerosis patients suffering from falls due to rapid deterioration in balance and triggered distracting external auditory stimuli. Treatment with a series of extra cranially applied, low-frequency picotesla-range intensity electromagnetic fields quickly resolved such symptoms associated with a loss of balance.
Exposure to magnetic fields produced beneficial clinical effects in patients suffering from cerebral paralysis and in patients with multiple sclerosis. Pulsed electromagnetic fields administered daily over a period of 15 days is a generally effective treatment in reducing symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis, with the most positive improvements involving the alleviation of spasticity and pain.
Treating Multiple Sclerosis with EMF
There is no known medical cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), but a promising alternative approach has been developed using electromagnetic fields (EMFs) to treat the pineal gland.
Studies have found evidence suggesting that there is a connection between multiple sclerosis and dysfunction of the pineal gland:
During relapses, MS patients have abnormally low nighttime blood levels of
melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland.
Brain scans of MS patients show that all have calcification of the pineal gland.
MS patients have low levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is a precursor
of melatonin, and is regulated by melatonin.
The symptoms of MS correlate with those of serotonin deficiency: carbohydrate
craving, fatigue, headache, sleep disorders, spasticity, poor bladder control,
cognitive deficits, migraines, and a high rate of depression and suicide.
Nutritional or biochemical attempts to enhance serotonin synthesis in MS patients
have not worked well. But the pineal gland is very sensitive to EMF, so researchers
tried applying extremely low intensity, pulsed EMF in an attempt to "energize" the
gland. This treatment was successful in creating marked symptom improvement
in 60% to 70% of MS patients in the study, and the remainder noticed mild to
moderate improvement. The treatment was most effective at the early stages
of the disease. EMF had been shown previously to affect the circadian release
of melatonin, and boost the release of neurotransmitters by altering intracellular
calcium-ion transport at the synaptic level.
Source: Based on information in: Townsend Letter for Doctors, July 1997
Excerpted from Spectrum Magazine
Multiple Sclerosis
R. Sandyk: 'Rapid Normalization of Visual Evoked Potentials, Picotesla Range
Magnetic Fields in Chronic Progressive Multiple Sclerosis,' International Journal
of Neurosci, 77 (3-4), August 1994. - This article reports on the case of a
55-year-old woman with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis. Treatment with
PEMF led to a rapid improvement in various areas, such as sleep, bladder function,
movement, speech and emotional condition.
R. Sandyk: 1994 and 1997, reported on the treatment of various syndromes in
conjunction with multiple sclerosis. Improvement of speech and language disorders,
reading problems, chronic ataxia (movement disorders), the acute Parkinsonism
syndrome, trembling, word flow, visual memory, disturbances in sensitivity
and motor action have been documented in various case reports published in
the well known journal International Journal of Neurosci. Low frequency, pulsating
magnetic fields with extremely low intensities (picostesla) led to definite
improvements.
Zix et al.: 'Effect of PEMF on Cell Volume and Phayocytosis Activity in Multiple
Sclerosis and Migraine,' Neurology Department, University of Rostock, Psychiatr
Neurol Med Psychol (Leipzig) 1990 August. - This study investigates the effect
of PEMF on the activity of macrophages in ten patients with multiple sclerosis.
Sieron et al.: 'PEMF in the Complex Treatment of Neurological Diseases,' European
Bioelectromagnetics Association, 3rd International Congress, 29 February -
3 March 1996, Nancy, France. - The results of this double blind, placebo-controlled
study shows that treatment with pulsed electromagnetic fields has positive
clinical effects on patients with multiple sclerosis.
R. Sandyk: 'Treatment with PEMF alters the Clinical Course of Chronic Progressive
Multiple Sclerosis - a Case Report,' International Journal of Neurosci, 88
(1-2), November 1996. The author reports on the case of a 36-year-old man with
serious partial paralysis and coordination problems with progressive multiple
sclerosis. PEMF treatments over a period of one year brought a number of improvements
involving mainly the areas of balance, intestinal and bladder control, sleep,
vision and emotional attitude. There was no progression of the symptoms of
multiple sclerosis.
Guseo: 'Double blind study of use of PEMF in multiple sclerosis,' Hungarian
Symposium on Magnetotherapy, 2nd Symposium, 16-17 May 1987, Szekesfehervar,
Hungary. - The results of this double blind, placebo-controlled study show
that PEMF represented a positive form of treatment for reducing spastic symptoms
and incontinence in conjunction with multiple sclerosis when used daily for
fifteen days.
1: Altern Ther Health Med. 2003 Jul-Aug;9(4):38-48.
Effects of a pulsed electromagnetic therapy on multiple sclerosis fatigue
and
quality of life: a double-blind, placebo controlled trial.
Lappin MS, Lawrie FW, Richards TL, Kramer ED.
Energy Medicine Developments, (North America), Inc., Burke, Va., USA.
CONTEXT: There is a growing literature on the biological and clinical effects
of
pulsed electromagnetic fields. Some studies suggest that electromagnetic
therapies may be useful in the treatment of chronic illnesses. This study is
a
follow-up to a placebo controlled pilot study in which multiple sclerosis (MS)
patients exposed to weak, extremely low frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields
showed significant improvements on a composite symptom measure. OBJECTIVE:
To
evaluate the effects of a pulsed electromagnetic therapy on MS related fatigue,
spasticity, bladder control, and overall quality of life. DESIGN: A multi-site,
double-blind, placebo controlled, crossover trial. Each subject received 4
weeks
of the active and placebo treatments separated by a 2-week washout period.
SETTING: The University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle Wash, the
Neurology Center of Fairfax in Fairfax, Va, and the headquarters of the Multiple
Sclerosis Association of America in Cherry Hill, NJ. SUBJECTS: 117 patients
with
clinically definite MS. INTERVENTION: Daily exposure to a small, portable
pulsing electromagnetic field generator. MAIN OUTCOME: The MS Quality of Life
Inventory (MSQLI) was used to assess changes in fatigue, bladder control,
spasticity, and a quality of life composite. RESULTS: Paired t-tests were used
to assess treatment differences in the 117 subjects (81% of the initial sample)
who completed both treatment sessions. Improvements in fatigue and overall
quality of life were significantly greater on the active device. There were
no
treatment effects for bladder control and a disability composite, and mixed
results for spasticity. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence from this randomized, double-bind,
placebo controlled trial is consistent with results from smaller studies
suggesting that exposure to pulsing, weak electromagnetic fields can alleviate
symptoms of MS. The clinical effects were small, however, and need to be
replicated. Additional research is also needed to examine the possibility that
ambulatory patients and patients taking interferons for their MS may be most
responsive to this kind of treatment.
Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Multicenter Study
Randomized Controlled Trial
PMID: 12868251 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
2: Wien Med Wochenschr. 2003;153(3-4):65-72.
[Therapy of day time fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis
[Article in German]
Zifko UA.
Sonderkrankenanstalt fur Neurologie, Klinik Pirawarth, Kurhausstrasse 100,
A-2222 Bad Pirawarth.
Fatigue is the most common symptom of multiple sclerosis. 75%-90% of patients
with multiple sclerosis report having fatigue, and 50%-60% describe it as the
worst symptom of their disease. Fatigue is significantly associated with reduced
quality of life and is also a major reason for unemployment, especially for
patients with otherwise minor disability. The mechanisms underlying abnormal
levels of fatigue in multiple sclerosis are poorly understood. To date, drug
treatment has been only partially successful in alleviating fatigue, and effects
vary widely from patient to patient. Amantadine and modafinil showed to be
effective in the treatment of fatigue in some studies. Non-pharmacological
management of fatigue in multiple sclerosis includes inpatient rehabilitation
and endurance training. There is also evidence, that pulsing electromagnetic
fields may improve fatigue associated with multiple sclerosis. This paper
summarizes the recent literature on pathophysiology, diagnosis and therapy
of
the most common symptom of multiple sclerosis.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 12658965 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
1: Wiad Lek. 2002;55(3-4):136-43.
[Effect of variable magnetic field on motor impairment and quality of life
in
patients with multiple sclerosis]
[Article in Polish]
Brola W, Wegrzyn W, Czernicki J.
Oddzialu Neurologii Szpitala Sw. lukasza w Konskich.
Modern treatment of multiple sclerosis (SM) takes into consideration the current
stage of the disease, symptomatic treatment and modification of the course
of
the disease. The most promising method of management is immunotherapy. It is,
however, effective only in some cases, in patients with low degree of
disability, and it is rather expensive. In view of some recent reports
concerning the possibility of utilisation of variable magnetic fields in the
treatment of SM, the study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of
impulses generated by magnetic field obtained by means of VIOFOR JPS stimulator.
The study was carried out on 76 subjects with long-term history of clinically
confirmed SM. The mean duration of the disease was 8.5 years, and the mean
age
of the patients 37.8 years. The patients were divided into two groups: the
study
group and the controls. In the study group the patients were exposed to magnetic
fields generated by VIOFOR JPS. Magnetic stimulation was not applied in the
control group. The progress of the disease according to EDDS and the quality
of
life according to Testa and Simonson Questionnaire were assessed on admission
and after 21 days of stimulation. No significant differences between the groups
were found with respect to motor impairment evaluated using the EDDS score
(6.2
at the beginning of the study and 5.1 after 21 days; in the control group--6.1
and 5.6, respectively). The quality of life was found to be significantly better
in the group exposed to magnetic field stimulation than in the controls (p <
0.01). Particular variables contributing to the physical, psychological and
social component of quality of life were analysed in detail. The most
significant difference was observed with respect to the improvement of mental
condition of the patients (alleviation of depression, elimination of anxiety,
better emotional control), as well as to the decrease of muscle tone,
dysaesthesia and painful sensations. No side effects were observed in any of
the
cases. The obtained effects encourage us to recommend magnetic stimulation
as a
method supplementing symptomatic treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis.
Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Controlled Clinical Trial
PMID: 12181997 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
2: Int J Neurosci. 1998 Jul;95(1-2):107-13.
Yawning and stretching--a behavioral syndrome associated with transcranial
application of electromagnetic fields in multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
Department of Neuroscience at the Institute for Biomedical Engineering and
Rehabilitation Services of Touro College, Dix Hills, NY 11746, USA.
Intracerebral administration of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) elicits
in
experimental animals a yawning stretching behavior which is believed to reflect
an arousal response mediated through the septohippocampal cholinergic neurons.
A
surge in plasma ACTH levels at night and just prior to awakening from sleep
is
also associated in humans with yawning and stretching behavior. Recurrent
episodes of uncontrollable yawning and body stretching, identical to those
observed upon awakening from physiological sleep, occur in a subset of patients
with multiple sclerosis (MS) during transcranial therapeutic application of
AC
pulsed electromagnetic fields of picotesla flux density. This behavioral
response has been observed exclusively in young female patients who are fully
ambulatory with a relapsing remitting course of the disease who also demonstrate
a distinctly favorable therapeutic response to magnetic stimulation. ACTH is
employed for the treatment of MS due to its immunomodulatory effects and a
surge
in its release in response to AC pulsed magnetic stimulation could explain
some
of the mechanism by which these fields improve symptoms of the disease.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 9845021 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
3: Mult Scler. 1996 Dec;2(5):227-32.
Treatment of spasticity with repetitive magnetic stimulation; a double-blind
placebo-controlled study.
Nielsen JF, Sinkjaer T, Jakobsen J.
Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.
The effect of repetitive magnetic stimulation on spasticity was evaluated
in 38
patients with multiple sclerosis in a double-blind placebo-controlled study.
One
group was treated with repetitive magnetic stimulation (n = 21) and the other
group with sham stimulation (n = 17). Both groups were treated twice daily
for 7
consecutive days. Primary end-points of the study were changes in the patients
self-score, in clinical spasticity score, and in the stretch reflex threshold.
The self-score of ease of daily day activities improved by 22% (P = 0.007)
after
treatment and by 29% (P = 0.004) after sham stimulation. The clinical spasticity
score improved -3.3 +/- 4.7 arbitrary unit (AU) in treated patients and 0.7
+/-
2.5 AU in sham stimulation (P = 0.003). The stretch reflex threshold increased
4.3 +/- 7.5 deg/s in treated patients and -3.8 +/- 9.7 deg/s in sham stimulation
(P = 0.001). The data presented in this study supports the idea that repetitive
magnetic stimulation has an antispastic effect in multiple sclerosis. Future
studies should clarify the optimal treatment regimen.
Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Randomized Controlled Trial
PMID: 9050361 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
4: J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1995 Feb;58(2):254-5.
A new treatment of spasticity with repetitive magnetic stimulation in multiple
sclerosis.
Nielsen JF, Klemar B, Hansen HJ, Sinkjaer T.
Publication Types:
Letter
PMID: 7876869 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
5: Zh Nevropatol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 1994;94(4):60-1.
[The use of magnetic stimulation in organic and psychogenic diseases]
[Article in Russian]
Vein AM, Sadekov RA, Danilov AB, Kupershmidt LA.
PMID: 7856383 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
3: Int J Neurosci. 1999 Mar;97(1-2):131-8.
Serotonergic neuronal sprouting as a potential mechanism of recovery in multiple
sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
Department of Neuroscience at the Institute for Biomedical Engineering and
Rehabilitation Services of Touro College, Dix Hills, NY 11746, USA.
Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is widely considered as an animal
model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Damage to the bulbospinal serotonergic (5-HT)
neurons occurs in the early paralytic stages of EAE in rats with the severity
of
neurologic signs corresponding to spinal serotonergic depletion. Neurologic
recovery of EAE rats is associated with reestablishment of spinal 5-HT
transmission possibly through sprouting of undamaged axons and nerve terminals.
Damage to the bulbospinal serotonergic fibers also occurs in patients with
MS
(as reflected by reduced lumbar CSF 5-HIAA levels) and may contribute to several
manifestations of the disease including autonomic dysregulation, sensory
symptoms (i.e., paresthesias, pain) and motor symptoms (weakness, spasticity,
clonus). Spinal serotonergic neuronal sprouting with regeneration of 5-HT nerve
terminals may also occur in the early stages of MS and may be associated with
spontaneous remission of MS symptoms following an acute relapse. Sprouting
of
serotonergic neurons may also explain the disparity in MS between the extent
of
demyelinating plaques and clinical signs of the disease. The chronic course
of
MS may be associated with progressive axonal degenerative changes with reduction
of serotonergic nerve terminals and loss of their sprouting capability. It
is
proposed that the beneficial effects of treatment with AC pulsed electromagnetic
fields on the symptoms and course of the disease in patients with chronic
progressive MS may be related in part to renewed sprouting of serotonergic
neurons.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 10681122 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
4: Int J Neurosci. 1999;98(1-2):83-94.
Impairment of depth perception in multiple sclerosis is improved by treatment
with AC pulsed electromagnetic fields.
Sandyk R.
Department of Neuroscience at the Institute for Biomedical Engineering and
Rehabilitation Services of Touro College, Bay Shore, NY 11706, USA.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with postural instability and an increased
risk of falling which is facilitated by a variety of factors including
diminished visual acuity, diplopia, ataxia, apraxia of gait, and peripheral
neuropathy. Deficient binocular depth perception may also contribute to a higher
incidence of postural instability and falling in these patients who, for
example, find it an extremely difficult task to walk on uneven ground, over
curbs, or up and down steps. I report a 51 year old woman with secondary
progressive MS who experienced difficulties with binocular depth perception
resulting in frequent falls and injuries. Deficient depth perception was
demonstrated also on spontaneous drawing of a cube. Following a series of
transcranial treatments with AC pulsed electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of 7,5
picotesla flux density, the patient experienced a major improvement in depth
perception which was evident particularly on ascending and descending stairs.
These clinical changes were associated with an improvement in spatial
organization and depth perception on drawing a cube. These findings suggest
that
in MS impairment of depth perception, which is encoded in the primary visual
cortex (area 17) and visual association cortex (areas 18 and 19), may be
improved by administration of AC pulsed EMFs of picotesla flux density. The
primary visual cortex is densely innervated by serotonergic neurons which
modulate visual information processing. Cerebral serotonin concentrations are
diminished in MS patients and at least some aspects of deficient depth
perception in MS may be related to dysfunction of serotonergic transmission
in
the primary visual cortex. It is suggested that transcranial AC pulsed
applications of EMFs improve depth perception partly by augmenting serotonergic
transmission in the visual cortex.
PMID: 10395363 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
5: Neurology. 1999 Apr 12;52(6):1279-82.
Multiple sclerosis among utility workers.
Johansen C, Koch-Henriksen N, Rasmussen S, Olsen JH.
Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, The Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen.
christof@cancer.dk
The incidence of MS was assessed in a nationwide cohort study of 31,990
employees of Danish utility companies between 1900 and 1993. Overall, 32 cases
of MS were diagnosed, as compared with 23.7 expected from national incidence
rates, to yield a standardized incidence ratio of 1.35 (95% confidence interval,
0.92 to 1.91).
PMID: 10214760 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
6: Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 1998 Aug;9(3):659-74.
Bioelectromagnetic applications for multiple sclerosis.
Richards TL, Lappin MS, Lawrie FW, Stegbauer KC.
Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
There are EM effects on biology that are potentially both harmful and
beneficial. We have reviewed applications of EM fields that are relevant to
MS.
It is possible that EM fields could be developed into a reproducible therapy
for
both symptom management and long-term care for MS. The long-term care for MS
would have to include beneficial changes in the immune system and in nerve
regeneration.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 9894116 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
7: Int J Neurosci. 1998 Jul;95(1-2):133-40.
Serotonergic neuronal atrophy with synaptic inactivation, not axonal
degeneration, are the main hallmarks of multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
Department of Neuroscience at the Institute for Biomedical Engineering and
Rehabilitation Services of Touro College, Dix Hills, NY 11746, USA.
The neurological manifestations of multiple sclerosis (MS) have been considered
to result from demyelination of axons with relative preservation of axonal
integrity. This concept has been challenged recently by a landmark pathological
study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which has demonstrated
that axonal degeneration is also present. The authors of the study hypothesized
that axonal degeneration is the pathological correlate of the irreversible
neurological impairment in this disease. However, this hypothesis cannot be
reconciled with the clinical results obtained with transcranial applications
of
AC pulsed electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of picotesla flux density which have
shown rapid and sustained improvement of symptoms including normalization of
evoked potential responses in patients with chronic progressive or secondary
progressive MS without demyelinated areas first undergoing remyelination or
transected axons undergoing regeneration. Biochemical studies have shown that
MS
patients are serotonergically depleted with the extent of cerebral depletion
correlating with the degree of motor disability and a chronic progressive
course. It is believed that progressive serotonergic neuronal atrophy with
synaptic inactivation, not axonal degeneration, are the hallmarks of the disease
and that administration of AC pulsed magnetic fields improves symptoms of MS
partly through reactivation of serotonergic neurons and amplification of
synaptic serotonergic transmission.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 9845023 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
9: Int J Neurosci. 1998 Apr;93(3-4):239-50.
Treatment with AC pulsed electromagnetic fields normalizes the latency of
the
visual evoked response in a multiple sclerosis patient with optic atrophy.
Sandyk R.
Department of Neuroscience at the Institute for Biomedical Engineering and
Rehabilitation Services of Touro College, Dix Hills, NY 11746, USA.
Visual evoked response (VER) studies have been utilized as supportive
information for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and may be useful
in
objectively monitoring the effects of various therapeutic modalities. Delayed
latency of the VER, which reflects slowed impulse transmission in the optic
pathways, is the most characteristic abnormality associated with the disease.
Brief transcranial applications of AC pulsed electromagnetic fields (EMFs)
in
the picotesla flux density are efficacious in the symptomatic treatment of
MS
and may also reestablish impulse transmission in the optic pathways. A 36 year
old man developed an attack of right sided optic neuritis at the age of 30.
On
presentation he had blurring of vision with reduced acuity on the right and
fundoscopic examination revealed pallor of the optic disc. A checkerboard
pattern reversal VER showed a delayed latency to right eye stimulation (P100
=
132 ms; normal range: 95-115 ms). After he received two successive applications
of AC pulsed EMFs of 7.5 picotesla flux density each of 20 minutes duration
administered transcranially, there was a dramatic improvement in vision and
the
VER latency reverted to normal (P100= 107 ms). The rapid improvement in vision
coupled with the normalization of the VER latency despite the presence of optic
atrophy, which reflects chronic demyelination of the optic nerve, cannot be
explained on the basis of partial or full reformation of myelin. It is proposed
that in MS synaptic neurotransmitter deficiency is associated with the visual
impairment and delayed VER latency following optic neuritis and that the
recovery of the VER latency by treatment with pulsed EMFs is related to
enhancement of synaptic neurotransmitter functions in the retina and central
optic pathways. Recovery of the VER latency in MS patients may have important
implications with respect to the treatment of visual impairment and prevention
of visual loss. Specifically, repeated pulsed applications of EMFs may maintain
impulse transmission in the optic nerve and thus potentially sustain its
viability.
PMID: 9639241 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
10: Int J Neurosci. 1997 Nov;92(1-2):95-102.
Treatment with electromagnetic fields improves dual-task performance (talking
while walking) in multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
Department of Neuroscience, Touro College, Dix Hills, NY 11746, USA.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with an increased risk of falling
resulting from visual disturbances, difficulties with gait and balance, apraxia
of gait and peripheral neuropathy. These factors often interact synergistically
to compromise the patient's gait stability. It has long been recognized that
walking involves a cognitive component and that simultaneous cognitive and
motor
operations (dual-task) such as talking while walking may interfere with normal
ambulation. Talking while walking reflects an example of a dual-task which
is
frequently impaired in MS patients. Impaired dual-task performance during
walking may compromise the patient's gait and explain why in some circumstances,
MS patients unexpectedly lose their balance and fall. Frontal lobe dysfunction,
which commonly occurs in MS patients, may disrupt dual-task performance and
increase the risk of falling in these patients. This report concerns a 36 old
man with remitting-progressive MS with an EDSS score of 5.5 who experienced
marked increase in spasticity in the legs and trunk and worsening of his gait
and balance, occasionally resulting in falling, when talking while walking.
His
gait and balance improved dramatically after he received two successive
transcranial treatments, each of 45 minutes, with AC pulsed electromagnetic
fields (EMFs) of 7.5 picotesla flux density. Simultaneously, there was
improvement in dual-task performance to the extent that talking while walking
did not adversely affect his ambulation. In addition, neuropsychological testing
revealed an almost 5-fold increase in word output on the Thurstone's
Word-Fluency Test, which is sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction. It is
suggested that facilitation of dual-task performance during ambulation
contributes to the overall improvement of gait and balance observed in MS
patients receiving transcranial treatment with AC pulsed EMFs.
PMID: 9522259 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
11: J Altern Complement Med. 1997 Winter;3(4):365-86.
Therapeutic effects of alternating current pulsed electromagnetic fields in
multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
Department of Neuroscience, Institute for Biomedical Engineering and
Rehabilitation Services of Touro College, Dix Hills, New York, USA.
Multiple sclerosis is the third most common cause of severe disability in
patients between the ages of 15 and 50 years. The cause of the disease and
its
pathogenesis remain unknown. The last 20 years have seen only meager advances
in
the development of effective treatments for the disease. No specific treatment
modality can cure the disease or alter its long-term course and eventual
outcome. Moreover, there are no agents or treatments that will restore premorbid
neuronal function. A host of biological phenomena associated with the disease
involving interactions among genetic, environmental, immunologic, and hormonal
factors, cannot be explained on the basis of demyelination alone and therefore
require refocusing attention on alternative explanations, one of which
implicates the pineal gland as pivotal. The pineal gland functions as a
magnetoreceptor organ. This biological property of the gland provided the
impetus for the development of a novel and highly effective therapeutic
modality, which involves transcranial applications of alternating current (AC)
pulsed electromagnetic fields in the picotesla flux density. This review
summarizes recent clinical work on the effects of transcranially applied pulsed
electromagnetic fields for the symptomatic treatment of the disease.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 9449058 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
12: J Altern Complement Med. 1997 Fall;3(3):267-90.
Role of the pineal gland in multiple sclerosis: a hypothesis.
Sandyk R.
Department of Neuroscience at the Institute for Biomedical Engineering and
Rehabilitation Services of Touro College, Dix Hills, NY, USA.
Despite intensive research over the past several decades, the etiology and
pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) remain elusive. The last 20 years have
seen only meager advances in the treatment of the disease in part because too
much attention has been devoted to the process of demyelination and its
relationship to the neurologic symptoms and recovery of the disease. A host
of
biological phenomena associated with the disease involving interactions among
genetic, environmental, immunologic, and hormonal factors, cannot be explained
on the basis of demyelination and, therefore, require refocusing attention
on
alternative explanations, one of which implicates the pineal gland as the
pivotal mover of the disease. This review summarizes the evidence linking
dysfunction of the pineal gland with the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical
manifestations, and course of the disease. The pineal hypothesis of MS also
provided the impetus for the development of a novel and highly effective
therapeutic modality, one that involves the transcranial application of AC
pulsed electromagnetic fields in the picotesla flux density.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 9430330 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
13: Int J Neurosci. 1997 Aug;90(3-4):177-85.
Treatment with electromagnetic fields reverses the long-term clinical course
of
a patient with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
Department of Neuroscience, Touro College, Dix Hills, NY 11746, USA.
It is estimated that 10-20% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have
a
chronic progressive (CP) course characterized by an insidious onset of
neurological deficits followed by steady progression of disability in the
absence of symptomatic remission. To date no therapeutic modality has proven
effective in reversing the clinical course of CP MS although there are
indications that prolonged treatment with picotesla electromagnetic fields
(EMFs) alters the clinical course of patients with CP MS. A 40 year-old woman
presented in December of 1992 with CP MS with symptoms of spastic paraplegia,
loss of trunk control, marked weakness of the upper limbs with loss of fine
and
gross motor hand functions, severe fatigue, cognitive deficits, mental
depression, and autonomic dysfunction with neurogenic bladder and bowel
incontinence. Her symptoms began at the age of 18 with weakness of the right
leg
and fatigue with long distance walking and over the ensuing years she
experienced steady deterioration of functions. In 1985 she became wheelchair
dependent and it was anticipated that within 1-2 years she would become
functionally quadriplegic. In December of 1992 she began experimental treatment
with EMFs. While receiving regularly weekly transcortical treatments with AC
pulsed EMFs in the picotesla range intensity she experienced during the first
year improvement in mental functions, return of strength in the upper
extremities, and recovery of trunk control. During the second year she
experienced the return of more hip functions and recovery of motor functions
began in her legs. For the first time in years she can now initiate dorsiflexion
of her ankles and actively extend her knees voluntarily. Over the past year
she
started to show signs of redevelopment of reciprocal gait. Presently, with
enough function restored in her legs, she is learning to walk with a walker
and
is able to stand unassisted and maintain her balance for a few minutes. She
also
regained about 80% of functions in the upper limbs and hands. Most remarkably,
there was no further progression of the disease during the 4 years course of
magnetic therapy. This patient's clinical recovery cannot be explained on the
basis of a spontaneous remission. It is suggested that pulsed applications
of
picotesla EMFs affect the neurobiological and immunological mechanisms
underlying the pathogenesis of CP MS.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 9352426 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
14: Int J Neurosci. 1997 Aug;90(3-4):145-57.
Resolution of sleep paralysis by weak electromagnetic fields in a patient
with
multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
Department of Neuroscience, Touro College, Dix Hills, NY 11746, USA.
Sleep paralysis refers to episodes of inability to move during the onset of
sleep or more commonly upon awakening. Patients often describe the sensation
of
struggling to move and may experience simultaneous frightening vivid
hallucinations and dreams. Sleep paralysis and other manifestations of
dissociated states of wakefulness and sleep, which reflect deficient
monoaminergic regulation of neural modulators of REM sleep, have been reported
in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). A 40 year old woman with
remitting-progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) experienced episodes of sleep
paralysis since the age of 16, four years prior to the onset of her neurological
symptoms. Episodes of sleep paralysis, which manifested at a frequency of about
once a week, occurred only upon awakening in the morning and were considered
by
the patient as a most terrifying experience. Periods of mental stress, sleep
deprivation, physical fatigue and exacerbation of MS symptoms appeared to
enhance the occurrence of sleep paralysis. In July of 1992 the patient began
experimental treatment with AC pulsed applications of picotesla intensity
electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of which were applied extracerebrally 1-2 times
per
week. During the course of treatment with EMFs the patient made a dramatic
recovery of symptoms with improvement in vision, mobility, balance, bladder
control, fatigue and short term memory. In addition, her baseline pattern reversal
visual evoked potential studies, which showed abnormally prolonged latencies
in
both eyes, normalized 3 weeks after the initiation of magnetic therapy and
remained
normal more than 2.5 years later. Since the introduction of magnetic therapy
episodes
of sleep paralysis gradually \diminished and abated completely over the past
3 years.
This report suggests that MS may be associated with deficient REM sleep inhibitory
neural mechanisms leading to sleep paralysis secondary to the intrusion of
REM sleep
atonia and dream imagery into the waking state. Pineal melatonin and monoaminergic
neurons have been implicated in the induction and maintenance of REM sleep
and the
pathogenesis of sleep paralysis and it is suggested that resolution of sleep
paralysis in this patient by AC pulsed applications of EMFs was related to
enhancement of melatonin circadian rhythms and cerebral serotoninergic
neurotransmission.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 9352423 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
15: Int J Neurosci. 1997 Jun;90(1-2):59-74.
Immediate recovery of cognitive functions and resolution of fatigue by treatment
with weak electromagnetic fields in a patient with multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
Department of Neuroscience, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Dix Hills,
NY,
USA.
Cognitive deficits are common among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
The
pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the cognitive impairment in MS are unknown
and there is presently no effective therapeutic modality which has shown
efficacy in improving cognitive deficits in MS. A 53 year old college professor
with a long history of secondary progressive MS experienced, over the preceding
year, noticeable deterioration in cognitive functions with difficulties in
short
and long term memory, word finding in spontaneous speech, attention and
concentration span. Unable to pursue his academic activities, he was considering
early retirement. Mental examination disclosed features of subcortical and
cortical dementia involving frontal lobe, left hemispheric and right hemispheric
dysfunction. Almost immediately following the extracerebral application of
AC
pulsed electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of 7.5 picotesla intensity and a 4-Hz
sinusoidal wave, the patient experienced a heightend sense of well being, which
he defined as enhancement of cognitive functions with a feeling "like
a cloud
lifted off my head." He reported heightend clarity of thinking and during
the
application of EMFs he felt that words were formed faster and he experienced
no
difficulty finding the appropriate words. His speech was stronger and well
modulated and he felt "energized" with resolution of his fatigue.
There was
improvement in manual dexterity and handwriting and testing of constructional
praxis demonstrated improvement in visuospatial, visuoperceptive and visuomotor
functions. It is suggested that some of the cognitive deficits associated with
MS, which are caused by synaptic disruption of neurotransmitter functions,
may
be reversed through pulsed applications of picotesla range EMFs.
PMID: 9285288 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
16: Int J Neurosci. 1997 Jan;89(1-2):39-51.
Progressive cognitive improvement in multiple sclerosis from treatment with
electromagnetic fields.
Sandyk R.
Department of Neuroscience, Touro College, Dix Hills, NY 11746, USA.
It has long been recognized that cognitive impairment occurs in patients with
multiple sclerosis (MS) particularly among patients with a chronic progressive
course. MS is considered a type of "subcortical dementia" in which
cognitive and
behavioral abnormalities resemble those observed in patients with a frontal
lobe
syndrome. The Bicycle Drawing Test is employed for the neuropsychological
assessment of cognitive impairment specifically that of mechanical reasoning
and
visuographic functioning. It also provides clues concerning the patient's
organizational skills which are subserved by the frontal lobes. Extracerebral
pulsed applications of picotesla flux intensity electromagnetic fields (EMFs)
have been shown to improve cognitive functions in patients with MS. I present
three patients with long standing symptoms of MS who, on the initial baseline,
pretreatment Bicycle Drawing Test, exhibited cognitive impairment manifested
by
omissions of essential details and deficient organizational skills. All patients
demonstrated progressive improvement in their performance during treatment
with
EMFs lasting from 6-18 months. The improvement in cognitive functions, which
occurred during the initial phases of the treatment, was striking for the
changes in organizational skills reflecting frontal lobe functions. These
findings demonstrate that progressive recovery of cognitive functions in MS
patients are observed over time through continued administration of picotesla
flux intensity EMFs. It is believed that the beneficial cognitive effects of
these EMFs are related to increased synaptic neurotransmission and that the
progressive cognitive improvement noted in these patients is associated with
slow recovery of synaptic functions in monoaminergic neurons of the frontal
lobe
or its projections from subcortical areas.
PMID: 9134447 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
17: Int J Neurosci. 1997 Jan;89(1-2):29-38.
Lack of a correlation between demyelinating plaques on MRI scan and clinical
recovery in multiple sclerosis by treatment with electromagnetic fields.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
A 50 year-old woman presented in January of 1995 with a prolonged history
of
symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and was classified at the time with a
remitting-progressive course. Her chief symptoms included slurring of speech,
impairment of vision with intermittent diplopia, difficulties with gait and
balance with spastic-ataxic gait, mental depression, insomnia, fatigue, impaired
cognitive functions notably poor short term memory and recurrent urinary tract
and sinus infections. An MRI scan showed multiple nodular demyelinating lesions
scattered in the subcortical white matter and periventricularly of both cerebral
hemispheres. Over the following 18 months, while receiving three treatment
sessions per week with picotesla electro-magnetic fields (EMFs) which were
applied extracranially, she showed a significant recovery in both physical
and
mental symptoms and additionally experienced decreased susceptibility to
infections. In addition, the course of her disease appeared to have stabilized
as opposed to the preceding 5 years during which time she experienced insidious,
steady deterioration in her functioning. Despite this remarkable clinical
recovery through the application of EMFs, and MRI scan obtained at the same
diagnostic center 18 months after initiation of treatment with EMFs showed
no
changes in the number and size of the demyelinating plaques. These findings
demonstrate lack of a correlation between recovery of symptoms and the number
and extent of demyelinating plaques on MRI scan. It has been known since the
days of Charcot in the latter half of the 19th century that in MS there is
a
great disparity between the histopathological changes of the disease and
neurologic deficits. This report enhances the notion that demyelination may
reflect an epiphenomenon of the disease.
PMID: 9134446 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
18: Int J Neurosci. 1996 Nov;88(1-2):75-82.
Treatment with electromagnetic field alters the clinical course of chronic
progressive multiple sclerosis--a case report.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
It is estimated that 10-20% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have
a
chronic progressive (CP) course characterized by an insidious of neurological
deficits followed by steady progression of disability in the absence of
symptomatic remission. No therapeutic modality has shown specific efficacy
in
the treatment of patients with CP MS and there are no data to indicate that
any
pharmacologic or other modality alters the clinical course of CP MS. Treatment
with picotesla electromagnetic fields (EMFs) is a highly effective modality
for
the symptomatic management of MS including the chronic progressive form. In
addition, this treatment also appears to alter the natural course of the disease
in CP patients. A 36 year-old man experienced, at the age of 31, insidious
weakness in the legs and several months later developed difficulties with
balance with ataxia of gait. His gait abnormality progressed slowly over the
following years and at the age of 35 he was severely disabled with spastic
paraparesis and ataxia using a rolling walker for ambulation and a scooter
for
longer distances. In particular, his disability had progressed rapidly over
the
six months preceding the initiation of treatment with EMFs. He as classified
have CP MS and his prognosis was considered extremely unfavorable due to the
degree of cerebellar and pyramidal tract involvement and the rapid course of
deterioration. In July 1995 the patient began experimental treatment with EMFs.
While receiving three treatment sessions a week over 12 months he experienced
improvement in cerebellar functions such as gait, balance and tremor as well
as
bowel and bladder functions, mood, sleep and cognitive function and resolution
of diplopia, blurring of vision, dysarthria, paresthesias in the hands, and
fatigue. Most remarkably, there was no further progression of the disease during
the course of magnetic therapy. This case illustrated that treatment with EMFs,
in addition to producing symptomatic improvement, also reverses the clinical
course of CP MS.
PMID: 9003966 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
19: Int J Neurosci. 1996 Oct;87(1-2):5-15.
Suicidal behavior is attenuated in patients with multiple sclerosis by treatment
with electromagnetic fields.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
A marked decrease in the levels of serotonin (5-HT) and its metabolite (5-HIAA)
has been demonstrated in postmortem studies of suicide victims with various
psychiatric disorders. Depression is the most common mental manifestation of
multiple sclerosis (MS) which accounts for the high incidence of suicide in
this
disease. CSF 5-HIAA concentrations are reduced in MS patients and nocturnal
plasma melatonin levels were found to be lower in suicidal than in nonsuicidal
patients. These findings suggest that the increased risk of suicide in MS
patients may be related to decreased 5-HT functions and blunted circadian
melatonin secretion. Previous studies have demonstrated that extracerebral
applications of pulsed electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the picotesla range
rapidly improved motor, sensory, affective and cognitive deficits in MS.
Augmentation of cerebral 5-HT synthesis and resynchronization of circadian
melatonin secretion has been suggested as a key mechanism by which these EMFs
improved symptoms of the disease. Therefore, the prediction was made that this
treatment modality would result in attenuation of suicidal behavior in MS
patients. The present report concerns three women with remitting-progressive
MS
who exhibited suicidal behavior during the course of their illness. All patients
had frequent suicidal thoughts over several years and experienced resolution
of
suicidal behavior within several weeks after introduction of EMFs treatment
with
no recurrence of symptoms during a follow-up of months to 3.5 years. These
findings demonstrate that in MS pulsed applications of picotesla level EMFs
improve mental depression and may reduce the risk of suicide by a mechanism
involving the augmentation of 5-HT neurotransmission and resynchronization
of
circadian melatonin secretion.
PMID: 8913816 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
20: Int J Neurosci. 1996 Oct;87(1-2):1-4.
Electromagnetic fields for treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
Publication Types:
Editorial
PMID: 8913815 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
21: Int J Neurosci. 1996 Jul;86(1-2):79-85.
Effect of weak electromagnetic fields on body image perception in patients
with
multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
Cerebellar ataxia is one of the most disabling symptoms of multiple sclerosis
(MS) and also one of the least responsive to pharmacotherapy. However,
cerebellar symptoms often improve dramatically in MS patients by brief,
extracerebral applications of picotesla flux electromagnetic fields (EMFs).
This
report concerns two MS patients with chronic disabling ataxia who experienced
rapid improvement in gait and balance after receiving a series of treatments
with EMFs. To assess whether improvement in cerebellar gait is accompanied
by
changes in body image perception, a parietal lobe function, both patients were
administered the Human Figure Drawing Test before and after a series of brief
treatments with EMFs. Prior to application of EMFs these patients' free drawings
of a person showed a figure with a wide-based stance characteristic of
cerebellar ataxia. After receiving a series of EMFs treatments both patients
demonstrated a change in body image perception with the drawings of the human
figure showing a normal stance. These findings demonstrate that in MS
improvement in cerebellar symptoms by pulsed applications of picotesla EMFs
is
associated with changes in the body image.
PMID: 8828062 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
22: Int J Neurosci. 1996 Jul;86(1-2):67-77.
Treatment with weak electromagnetic fields attenuates carbohydrate craving
in a
patients with multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
Pharmacological studies have implicated serotonergic (5-HT) neurons in the
regulation of food intake and food preference. It has been shown that the urge
to consume carbohydrate rich foods is regulated by 5-HT activity and that
carbohydrate craving is triggered by 5-HT deficiency in the medical
hypothalamus. Ingestion of carbohydrate foods stimulates insulin secretion
which
accelerates the uptake of tryptophan, the precursor of 5-HT and melatonin,
into
the brain and pineal gland, respectively. Thus, carbohydrate craving might
be
considered a form of "self medication" aimed at correcting an underlying
dysfunction of cerebral 5-HT and pineal melatonin functions. A 51 year old
woman
with remitting-progressive MS experienced carbohydrate craving during childhood
and adolescence and again in temporal association with the onset of her first
neurological symptoms at the age of 45. Carbohydrate craving, which resembled
the pattern observed in patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), was
attenuated by a series of extracranial AC pulsed applications of picotesla
(10(-12) Tesla) flux intensity electromagnetic fields (EMFs). It is suggested
that AC pulsed EMFs applications activated retinal mechanisms which, through
functional interactions with the medial hypothalamus, initiated an increased
release of 5-HT and resynchronization of melatonin secretion ultimately leading
to a decrease in carbohydrate craving. The occurrence of carbohydrate craving
in
early life may have increased the patient's vulnerability to viral infection
given the importance of 5-HT and melatonin in immunomodulation and the
regulation of the integrity of the blood brain barrier. The recurrence of this
craving in temporal relation to the onset of neurological symptoms suggests
that
5-HT deficiency and impaired pineal melatonin functions are linked to the timing
of onset of the clinical symptoms of the disease. The report supports the role
of experimental factors in the pathophysiology of MS.
PMID: 8828061 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
23: Int J Neurosci. 1996 Jul;86(1-2):33-45.
Reversal of an acute parkinsonian syndrome associated with multiple sclerosis
by
application of weak electromagnetic fields.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
The occurrence of movement disorders and particularly Parkinsonian symptoms
is
uncommon in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) despite the rather frequent
presence of demyelinating plaques in the basal ganglia. This disparity between
the occurrence of clinical symptoms in MS and the distribution of demyelinating
plaques suggests that impairment of neurotransmitter functions rather than
demyelination may be critical to the clinical manifestations of the disease.
A
48 year old woman with remitting-progressive MS developed a bilateral
Parkinsonian syndrome in association with acute emotional stress which resolved
after she received two brief successive extracerebral applications of low
frequency picotesla flux density electromagnetic fields (EMFs). It is believed
that in this patient Parkinsonism may have existed in a subclinical form and
that acute stress, which previously has been shown to precipitate symptoms
of
Parkinson's disease, triggered the onset of Parkinsonism by further reducing
dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission in the basal ganglia. The rapid
reversal of the Parkinsonian syndrome by EMFs was related to a presumed
augmentation of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission which, on the
basis of CSF studies, is reduced in chronic MS patients. The efficacy of EMFs
in
the treatment of Parkinson's disease had been documented previously but this
report demonstrates that this treatment modality is beneficial also for the
treatment of Parkinsonism developing in the setting of other neurodegenerative
disorders.
PMID: 8828058 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
24: Int J Neurosci. 1996 Mar;85(1-2):125-9.
Weak electromagnetic fields potentiate the effects of 4-aminopyridine in
multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
Publication Types:
Letter
PMID: 8727688 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
25: Int J Neurosci. 1996 Mar;85(1-2):101-10.
Application of weak electromagnetic fields facilitates sensory-motor integration
in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
Electrophysiological studies in behaving animals have shown the function of
cerebral serotonin (5-HT) neurons to be altered in association with motor output
in both the tonic and repetitive modes and also in relation to an orienting
response. Brainstem 5-HT neurons increase their firing rate two to five-fold
during repetitive motor activity to facilitate motor output while simultaneously
suppressing transmission in sensory pathways. Reciprocally, during an orienting
response motor activity is suppressed and 5-HT neuronal activity is inhibited
to
facilitate transmission of sensory information. These reciprocal changes in
5-HT
neuronal activity serve to facilitate brainstem reticular sensory-motor
integration which, due to 5-HT neurotransmission deficiency, may be disrupted
in
patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). For instance, MS patients are unable
to
process auditory information in the presence of competing ambient stimuli,
while
under a controlled laboratory environment they demonstrate unimpaired verbal
information processing. This report concerns three MS patients who experienced
rapid deterioration in balance resulting in falling when subjected, during
ambulation, to distracting external auditory stimuli. After receiving a series
of treatments with low frequency picotesla range intensity electromagnetic
fields (EMFs), which were applied extracranially for brief periods, these
patients experienced resolution of these symptoms with ambulation being
unaffected by auditory stimuli. It is suggested that application of picotesla
EMFs may restore abnormal reticular sensory-motor integration in MS patients
with the effect being related to facilitation of 5-HT neurotransmission at
both
junctional (synaptic) and nonjunctional neuronal target sites.
PMID: 8727686 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
26: Int J Neurosci. 1996 Mar;85(1-2):93-9.
Bidirectional effect of electromagnetic fields on ketanserin-induced yawning
in
patients with multiple sclerosis: the role of melatonin.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
5-HT2 receptors regulate sleep including yawning behavior. Ritanserin, a
selective 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, increases the duration of slow wave in
rats and humans. This effect is more pronounced during the light period when
melatonin plasma levels are low; melatonin inhibits the sleep effects of
ritanserin. These findings indicate that melatonin co-determines the effects
of
ritanserin on sleep. In a cohort of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients ketanserin,
a selective 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, induces recurrent yawning particularly
when administered in daytime. The frequency of yawning induced by the drug
was
modified by AC pulsed picotesla flux electromagnetic fields (EMFs) which affect
melatonin secretion. Two MS patients are presented in whom the frequency of
ketanserin-induced yawning was altered in opposite directions by these EMFs.
The
first patient, a 50 year old woman with a remitting-relapsing course, developed
recurrent yawning and sleepiness after administration of ketanserin (10 mg,
PO).
Yawning was decreased dramatically during application of EMFs but was unaffected
by a placebo EMFs treatment. The second patient, a 35 year old man with a
chronic progressive course, manifested a single and brief yawn after
administration of an equal dose of ketanserin. Yawning was increased
dramatically during application of EMFs while remaining unchanged during a
placebo EMFs treatment. These observations demonstrate a bidirectional effect
of
picotesla flux EMFs on ketanserin-induced yawning which may be related to
differences in daytime melatonin plasma levels among MS patients. If validated
by estimations of melatonin plasma levels in a larger cohort of patients the
information derived from the effects of picotesla EMFs on ketanserin-induced
yawning could be used to: (a) assess pineal melatonin functions in patients
with
MS; (b) indicate differences in pineal functions between male and female MS
patients; and (c) indicate a relationship between plasma melatonin levels and
the fatigue of MS.
PMID: 8727685 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
27: Int J Neurosci. 1996 Mar;85(1-2):79-91.
Weak electromagnetic fields increase the amplitude of the pattern reversal
VEP
response in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
Visual evoked potential (VEP) studies are widely used for the diagnosis of
multiple sclerosis (MS) and are also useful in monitoring the effects of various
therapeutic modalities in the disease. Brief, extracerebral applications of
picotesla (pT) range flux intensity electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of low
frequency have been shown efficacious in the treatment of motor and cognitive
symptoms in MS implying that this treatment modality improves action potential
transmission in demyelinating pathways. This report documents three MS patients
with a remitting-progressive course in whom two successive brief extracerebral
applications of pT range EMFs caused an immediate increase (and normalization)
of the amplitudes of the visual evoked response in the eye previously affected
by optic neuritis. However, the pretreatment prolonged latencies of the evoked
responses remained essentially unchanged after the administration of EMFs.
Since
the latency of the VEP reflects the degree of conduction velocity and the
amplitude the degree of conduction block in demyelinating optic pathways, the
report demonstrates that extracerebral applications of these EMFs may rapidly
reverse conduction block in demyelinating fibers. Reversal of the conduction
block, which is though to be related to changes in axonal Na+ and K+ channels
and synaptic neurotransmitter release, accounts for the immediate improvement
of
vision and other neurological deficits observed in MS patients following
exposure to these EMFs.
PMID: 8727684 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
28: Int J Neurosci. 1996 Feb;84(1-4):177-86.
Treatment with weak electromagnetic fields improves fatigue associated with
multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
It is estimated that 75-90% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience
fatigue at some point during the course of the disease and that in about half
of
these patients, subjective fatigue is a primary complaint. In the majority
of
patients fatigue is present throughout the course of the day being most
prominent in the mid to late afternoon. Sleepiness is not prominent, but
patients report that rest may attenuate fatigability. The pathophysiology of
the
fatigue of MS remains unknown. Delayed impulse conduction in demyelinated zones
may render transmission in the brainstem reticular formation less effective.
In
addition, the observation that rest may restore energy and that administration
of pemoline and amantadine, which increase the synthesis and release of
monoamines, often improve the fatigue of MS suggest that depletion of
neurotransmitter stores in damaged neurons may contribute significantly to
the
development of fatigue in these patients. The present report concerns three
MS
patients who experienced over several years continuous and debilitating fatigue
throughout the course of the day. Fatigue was exacerbated by increased physical
activity and was not improved by rest. After receiving a course of treatments
with picotesla flux electromagnetic fields (EMFs), which were applied
extracranially, all patients experienced improvement in fatigue. Remarkably,
patients noted that several months after initiation of treatment with EMFs
they
were able to recover, after a short period of rest, from fatigue which followed
increased physical activity. These observations suggest that replenishment
of
monoamine stores in neurons damaged by demyelination in the brainstem reticular
formation by periodic applications of picotesla flux intensity EMFs may lead
to
more effective impulse conduction and thus to improvement in fatigue including
rapid recovery of fatigue after rest.
PMID: 8707480 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
29: Int J Neurosci. 1996 Feb;84(1-4):165-75.
Effect of weak electromagnetic fields on the amplitude of the pattern reversal
VEP response in Parkinson's disease.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
Visual evoked potential (VEP) studies are widely used for the diagnosis of
multiple sclerosis (MS) and are also useful in monitoring the effects of various
therapeutic modalities in the disease. Prolongation of the VEP latencies has
been demonstrated in patients with MS and in other neurodegenerative disorders
including Parkinson's disease (PD), a disorder characterized by deficient
cerebral dopamine (DA) functions. Pharmacological and biochemical studies have
demonstrated a positive correlation between the amplitude of the VEP response
and cerebral DA levels. Since brief, extracerebral applications of picotesla
(pT) range flux intensity electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of low frequency have
been shown to produce rapid improvement in motor and cognitive symptoms in
PD,
it is expected that application these EMFs would lead also to an increase in
the
amplitude of VEP response. This report documents three randomly selected PD
patients who, following two successive brief extracerebral applications of
pT
range EMFs, showed an almost 3-fold increase of the mean pretreatment amplitude
of the pattern reversal VEP in response to monocular stimulation. One patient
underwent also a placebo EMF treatment which did not result in a significant
change in the posttreatment amplitude. The study demonstrates that in
Parkinsonian patients extracerebral application of these EMFs rapidly increases
in amplitude of the VEP response and, by inference, cerebral DA levels
presumably by increasing DA release.
Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Randomized Controlled Trial
PMID: 8707479 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
30: Int J Neurosci. 1996 Feb;84(1-4):157-64.
Resolution of partial cataplexy in multiple sclerosis by treatment with weak
electromagnetic fields.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
Cataplexy, an ancillary symptom of narcolepsy, involves the sudden loss of
muscle tone without altered consciousness usually brought on by sudden
excitement or emotional influence and extreme exertions (Guilleminault et al.,
1974; Parks et al., 1974; Guilleminault, 1976; Aldrich, 1992; 1993; Scrima,
1981; Baker, 1985). Attacks of generalized cataplexy produce complete atonic,
areflexic partial or complete paralysis of striated muscles commonly involving
the leg muscles resulting in collapse of the knees and falling while milder
forms often termed partial cataplexy may manifest by sagging of the face,
eyelid, or jaw, dysarthria, blurred vision, drooping of the head, weakness
of an
arm or leg, buckling at the knees, or simply a momentary sensation of weakness
that is imperceptible to observers (Guilleminault, 1976; Aldrich, 1993). The
duration of cataplexy is usually a few seconds, although severe episodes can
last several minutes and rarely several hours or days in the case of "status
cataplecticus" (Parkes et al., 1974; Guilleminault, 1976; Billiard & Cadilhac,
1985; Aldrich, 1992; 1993). This report concerns a 51 year old man with chronic
progressive multiple sclerosis who exhibited daily episodes of partial cataplexy
which resolved within 3 weeks after he received treatment with picotesla
electromagnetic fields.
PMID: 8707478 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
31: Int J Neurosci. 1995 Dec;83(3-4):187-98.
Premenstrual exacerbation of symptoms in multiple sclerosis is attenuated
by
treatment with weak electromagnetic fields.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
It has been suspected that hormonal factors contribute to the etiology and
pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). A direct relationship between MS and
endocrine functions is suggested by changes in disease activity during the
phases of the menstrual cycle. A subset of women with MS experience premenstrual
worsening of symptoms which improve dramatically with the onset of menstruation.
The biological mechanisms underlying these changes in disease activity are
unexplained but may be related to cyclical fluctuations in gonadal sex steroid
hormones, abrupt changes in the activity of the endogenous opioid peptides
and
fluctuations in plasma melatonin levels which affect neuronal excitability
and
immune functions. Extracerebral application of weak electromagnetic fields
(EMFs) in the picotesla range intensity has been reported efficacious in the
treatment of MS with patients experiencing sustained improvement in motor,
sensory, autonomic, affective and cognitive functions. The present report
concerns two women with chronic progressive stage MS who experienced, coincident
with increasing functional disability, regular worsening of their symptoms
beginning about a week before menstruation and abating with the onset of
menstruation. These symptoms resolved two months after the initiation of
treatment with EMFs. The report supports the association between the endocrine
system and MS and indicates that brief, extracranial applications of these
magnetic fields modifies the activity of neuroendocrine systems which
precipitate worsening of MS symptoms premenstrually.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 8869427 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
32: Int J Neurosci. 1995 Nov;83(1-2):81-92.
Resolution of dysarthria in multiple sclerosis by treatment with weak
electromagnetic fields.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
It has been reported that 50% or more of patients diagnosed with multiple
sclerosis (MS) exhibit speech impairment (dysarthria) which in some cases can
be
exceedingly disabling. Currently there is no effective medical treatment for
the
dysarthria of MS which occurs as a result of lesions to the cerebellum and
its
outflow tracts. It was reported recently that extracranial application of brief
AC pulsed electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the picotesla (pT) range intensity
produced in patients with MS sustained improvement in motor functions including
cerebellar symptomatology. This communication concerns two MS patients with
a
chronic progressive course who exhibited severe dysarthria which improved
already during the initial treatment with pulsed EMFs and which resolved
completely 3-4 weeks later. Since application of EMFs has been shown to alter:
(a) the resting membrane potential and synaptic neurotransmitter release through
an effect involving changes in transmembrane calcium flux; and (b) the secretion
of pineal melatonin which in turn influences the synthesis and release of
serotonin (5-HT) and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) in the cerebellum, it
is
suggested that the immediate improvement of the dysarthria occurred as a result
of changes in cerebellar neurotransmitter functions particularly 5-HT and GABA
rather than from remyelination.
PMID: 8746751 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
33: Int J Neurosci. 1995 Nov;83(1-2):69-79.
Reversal of alexia in multiple sclerosis by weak electromagnetic fields.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
The occurrence of cognitive deficits in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS)
has been recognized since 1877 when Charcot first observed "enfeeblement
of
memory" in his patients. Cognitive deficits have been reported in almost
50% of
patients with a relapsing-remitting course and in a significantly higher
percentage of patients with a chronic progressive course leading to intellectual
disability which is often severe enough to preclude employment. MS is considered
a form of subcortical dementia and the occurrence of classical cortical
disorders such as aphasia, agnosia and apraxia is reported to be rare in the
disease. However, in my experience alexia, a reading impairment unrelated to
visual acuity or visual field defects, is common in patients with MS. Recently,
I reported that treatment with picotesla range electromagnetic fields (EMFs)
is
an efficacious modality in the management of both the motor and cognitive
symptoms of MS. Three patients with MS who developed alexia as a manifestation
of the disease are presented. In all patients the alexia was reversed several
months after they began treatment with EMFs. Since alexia usually reflects
a
disconnection syndrome whereby lesions involving the left visual cortex and
the
splenium of the corpus callosum disconnect language association areas from
visual association areas, it is suggested that reversal of the alexia in these
patients by EMFs was related to improved interhemispheric transcallosal
transmission of visual information. In addition, it is conceivable that changes
in the metabolism of monoamines, which are involved in visual information
processing and reading comprehension, may have been important in causing
reversal of the alexia. This report further supports the unique efficacy of
this
treatment modality in reversing specific cognitive deficits in MS.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 8746750 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
34: Int J Neurosci. 1995 Nov;83(1-2):45-57.
Long term beneficial effects of weak electromagnetic fields in multiple
sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
A 39 year-old severely disabled woman with a 19 year history of chronic
relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) began to experience improvement
in
symptoms within 24 hours after she received experimental treatment with
picotesla electromagnetic fields (EMFs). Pattern reversal visual evoked
potential (VEP) study obtained three weeks after the initiation of the first
magnetic treatment showed a return to normal of the P100 latencies in each
eye.
The patient continued to receive 1-2 EMFs treatments per week and during the
following 32 months she made a dramatic recovery with resolution of diplopia,
blurring of vision, dysarthria, ataxia of gait, and bladder dysfunction as
well
as improvement in fatigue, heat tolerance, mood, sleep, libido, and cognitive
functions. VEP studies, which were repeated in April of 1995 more than 2 1/2
years after the initiation of magnetic treatment, showed that P100 latencies
remained normal in each eye providing objective documentation that continued
application of these EMFs may sustain normal conduction in the damaged optic
pathways over a long period of time. This is the first case report documenting
the dramatic long term beneficial effects of treatment with picotesla range
EMFs
in a patient with MS.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 8746748 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
35: Int J Neurosci. 1995 Jun;82(3-4):285-302.
Weak electromagnetic fields improve body image perception in patients with
multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
Neuropsychological studies have demonstrated that multiple sclerosis (MS)
is
associated with various cognitive deficits and it has been suggested that it
be
considered a form of subcortical dementia. It is now recognized that
visuoperceptive and visuomotor deficits commonly occur in MS patients
particularly in those with chronic progressive course of the disease. The Human
Figure Drawing Test has been employed in the assessment of generalized
intellectual deterioration and specifically in the evaluation of
visuoperceptive, visuospatial and visuoconstructional abilities in brain injured
patients. I have demonstrated recently, on the basis of various drawing test,
the external application of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the picotesla
(pT)
range intensity improved visuoperceptive and visuospatial functions in patients
with MS. In the present communication I present five MS patients who were
administered the Human Figure Drawing Test before and after a series of
treatments with EMFs. Prior to application of EMFs four of these patients'
drawings showed distortions, poor perspectives, impoverished facial expression,
and lack of attention to details suggesting poor body image perception related
to right posterior hemispheric dysfunction. In response to the administration
of
EMFs the group demonstrated improvement in motor disability which was associated
with a striking improvement in the drawing particularly the drawings of the
face
the perception of which is localized to the right parietal lobe. These findings
demonstrate that treatment with pT EMFs improves body image perception in MS
patients thus corroborating previous observations which demonstrated this
treatment modality to exert beneficial effects on cognitive functions in
patients with MS.
PMID: 7558655 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
36: Int J Neurosci. 1995 Jun;82(3-4):223-42.
Chronic relapsing multiple sclerosis: a case of rapid recovery by application
of
weak electromagnetic fields.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
A 54 year-old woman was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1985 at
the
age of 45 after she developed diplopia, slurred speech, and weakness in the
right leg. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan obtained in 1985 showed
several areas of plaque formation distributed in the periventricular white
matter and centrum semiovale bilaterally. Coincident with slow deterioration
in
her condition since 1990 a second MRI scan was obtained in 1991 which showed
a
considerable increase in the number and size of plaques throughout both cerebral
hemispheres, subcortical white matter, periventricularly and brainstem. In
1994,
the patient received treatment with Interferon beta- 1b (Betaseron) for 6 months
with no improvement in symptoms. However, following two successive extracranial
applications of pulsed electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the picotesla (pT)
range
each of 20 minutes duration the patient experienced an immediate improvement
in
symptoms most dramatically in gait, balance, speech, level of energy,
swallowing, mood, and vision. On a maintenance program of 3 treatments per
month
the patient's only symptom is mild right foot and leg weakness. The report
points to the unique efficacy of externally applied pT range EMFs in the
symptomatic treatment of MS, indicates a lack of an association between the
extent of demyelinating plaques on MRI scan and rate and extent of recovery
in
response to EMFs, and supports the notion that dysfunction of synaptic
conductivity due to neurotransmitter deficiency particularly of serotonin (5-HT)
contributes more significantly to the development of MS symptoms than the
process of demyelination which clinically seems to represent an epiphenomenon
of
the disease.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 7558651 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
37: Int J Neurosci. 1995 Apr;81(3-4):215-24.
Resolution of Lhermitte's sign in multiple sclerosis by treatment with weak
electromagnetic fields.
Sandyk R, Dann LC.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
Lhermitte's sign, the occurrence of an electrical sensation passing down the
back to the legs on flexion of the neck is a common and characteristic feature
of multiple sclerosis (MS) which is related to spinal cord lesions affecting
the
posterior columns and cervical nerve roots. The Lhermitte's sign, which has
been
reported to occur at some time in up to 25% of MS patients, is seldom painful
but is often a cause of distress to the patient and usually a marker of
increased disease activity. Treatment with extracranial picotesla range pulsed
electromagnetic fields (EMFs) has been found efficacious in the management
of
various MS symptoms including pain syndromes. The present communication concerns
three MS patients in whom two brief applications of EMFs resulted in resolution
of the Lhermitte's sign which emerged during a period of exacerbation of
symptoms in one patient and during a prolonged phase of symptom deterioration
in
the other two patients. As the cause of the Lhermitte's sign is thought to
result from the spread of ectopic excitation in demyelinated plaques in the
cervical and thoracic regions of the spinal cord, it is hypothesized that the
effects of EMFs are related to the reduction of axonal excitability via a
mechanism involving changes in ionic membrane permeability. A systemic effect
on
pain control systems is also postulated to occur secondary to the effects of
EMFs on neurotransmitter activity and pineal melatonin functions. This report
underscores the efficacy of picotesla EMFs in the management of paroxysmal
pain
symptoms in MS.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 7628912 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
38: Int J Neurosci. 1995 Apr;81(3-4):199-213.
Improvement of right hemispheric functions in a child with Gilles de la
Tourette's syndrome by weak electromagnetic fields.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome (GTS) is a chronic, familial neuropsychiatric
disorder of unknown etiology characterized clinically by the occurrence of
motor
and vocal tics and by the presence of a variety of neurobehavioral and
neurocognitive abnormalities including hyperactivity, self-multilatory behavior,
obsessive-compulsive behavior, learning disabilities, and conduct disorder.
On
the basis of neuropsychological assessments it has been suggested that GTS
is
associated with greater right than left hemispheric dysfunction which accounts
for decrements in visuospatial, visuoconstructional and visuomotor skills in
these patients. Recent case studies have demonstrated that extracranial
application of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the picotesla (pT) range
intensity improves visuospatial and visuoperceptive functions in patients with
neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis
and Alzheimer's disease. I now present a 6 1/2 year old boy with GTS in whom
this treatment modality produced, in addition to symptomatic behavioral
improvement, also improvement in visuoconstructional and visuomotor skills
as
evidenced on various drawing tasks particularly copy of the Rey-Osterrieth
Complex Figure, a task which is especially vulnerable to right hemispheric
functions. These findings suggest that pT range EMFs may be useful for the
treatment of GTS and related disorders and also reverse some of the cognitive
impairments associated with the disease which are related to right hemispheric
dysfunction and which contribute to learning disabilities in these patients.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 7628911 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
39: Int J Neurosci. 1994 Dec;79(3-4):199-212.
Weak electromagnetic fields attenuate tremor in multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R, Dann LC.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
It has been estimated that about 75% of patients diagnosed with multiple
sclerosis (MS) have tremor which can be exceedingly disabling. The most common
tremor observed in patients with MS is a cerebellar intention tremor ('kinetic
tremor') although postural tremor ('static tremor') is also common and often
extremely incapacitating. Currently there is no effective medical treatment
for
the tremor of MS which, in some severe cases, may be abolished by stereotactic
thalamotomy. It was reported recently that extracranial application of brief
AC
pulsed electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the picotesla (pT) range produced
improvement in motor and cognitive functions in patients with MS. The present
communication concerns three MS patients with a chronic progressive course
of
the disease (mean age: 39.3 +/- 8.3 years; mean duration of illness: 11.3 +/-
3.2 years) in whom brief external applications of pulsed EMFs of 7.5 pT
intensity reduced intention and postural tremors resulting in significant
functional improvement. The report suggests that these extremely low intensity
EMFs are beneficial also in the treatment of tremors in MS and that this
treatment may serve as an alternative method to stereotactic thalamotomy in
the
management of tremor in MS. The mechanisms by which EMFs attenuate the tremors
of MS are complex and are thought to involve augmentation of GABA and serotonin
(5-HT) neurotransmission in the cerebellum and its outflow tracts.
PMID: 7744562 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
40: Int J Neurosci. 1994 Dec;79(3-4):169-84.
Reversal of visuospatial hemi-inattention in patients with chronic progressive
multiple sclerosis by treatment with weak electromagnetic fields.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811, USA.
The occurrence of cognitive impairment including visuoperceptive and
visuospatial deficits have long been recognized to occur in patients with
multiple sclerosis (MS) particularly among patients with a chronic progressive
course. In MS visuospatial and visuoperceptive deficits have been attributed
to
the presence of diffuse demyelinating plaques which "disconnect" the
brainstem
reticular formation and other subcortical structures involved in attention
and
arousal from cortical areas thus causing a state of hypoarousal. It has been
reported recently that brief external applications of alternating pulsed
electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the picotesla (pT) range intensity improved
visuoperceptive and visuospatial functions in MS patients. The present
communication concerns three female patients with chronic progressive course
of
MS (mean age: 52.3 +/- 2.0 yrs; mean duration of illness: 17.6 +/- 10.2 yrs)
who, on tests of free drawings, demonstrated visuospatial hemi-inattention
as a
feature of more global cognitive deterioration. In all patients brief
applications of EMFs rapidly reversed this cognitive deficit. These findings
support prior observations demonstrating that pT EMFs may bring about reversal
of certain cognitive deficits in MS patients which, to my knowledge, remain
unaffected by any other treatment modality.
PMID: 7744559 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
41: Panminerva Med. 1994 Dec;36(4):201-5.
Pineal-hypothalamic tract mediation of picotesla magnetic fields in the
treatment of neurological disorders.
Jacobson JI.
Institute of Theoretical Physics and Advanced Studies for Biophysical Research,
Jupiter, FL 334377-1418, USA.
The objective of this study is analysis of the clinical efficacy of picotesla
magnetic fields in the treatment of epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and multiple
sclerosis. The method utilized involved the exogenous application of
physiologic, very weak magnetic fields to the brain by Sandyk, Anninos, Derpapas
and Tsagas. The magnetic device produced a magnetic field ranging from about
5 x
10(-8) gauss to about 2.5 x 10(-7) gauss at frequencies of 2 to 7 Hertz. The
wave form was sinusoidal and the device was positioned about the posterior
portion of the corpus callosum most specifically to influence the pineal gland.
Direct correlation of melatonin production with magnetic field stimulation
was
established. Amelioration or palliation of the neurological conditions was
observed over an extended period of time in most cases. It appeared that a
resonance situation was established between the magnetic field and melatonin
which could be explained with Jacobson Resonance. These studies begin to point
to the explanation of the mechanism of interaction between non-ionizing
electromagnetic radiation and biological systems. Furthermore, the evaluation
of
the pineal gland as an magneto-sensitive gland may help us understand
fundamental conditions in magneto-receptors of biological systems in terms
of
their piezoelectric nature.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 7603740 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
42: Int J Neurosci. 1994 Nov;79(1-2):75-90.
Improvement in word-fluency performance in patients with multiple sclerosis
by
electromagnetic fields.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT, USA.
Impairment of cognitive functions is well recognized in patients diagnosed
with
multiple sclerosis (MS), especially those with a chronic progressive course.
In
fact, MS has been considered a type of "subcortical dementia" in
which cognitive
and behavioral abnormalities resemble those observed in patients with frontal
lobe syndrome. Patients with frontal lobe syndrome are known to exhibit diverse
cognitive and behavioral abnormalities which include, among others, diminished
spontaneity of speech with difficulties producing appropriate words and phrases.
It has been reported recently that extracranial application of extremely weak
electromagnetic fields (EMF) in the picotesla range produced improvement in
motor and cognitive functions in patients with MS. The present report concerns
three women with MS (mean age: 44.3 +/- 8.5 yrs; mean duration of illness:
18.3
+/- 3.5 yrs), two with chronic progressive course and the third with a
relapsing-remitting course in whom the Thurstone Word-Fluency Test, a reputed
test of frontal lobe function, was administered prior to and following a series
of 4 to 5 treatment sessions with EMF. Prior to the initiation of treatment
with
EMF all patients demonstrated word fluency performance which was well below
age
and sex-matched normal controls of similar level of education (mean output
of MS
patients was 42.6 +/- 1.1 words vs. 79.0 +/- 6.2 words of the controls). A
series of treatments with EMF produced a 100% increase in word output within
a
short period of time (mean: 83.3 +/- 14.0 words). These findings suggest that
this treatment modality improves frontal lobe functions in patients with MS
and
corroborate previous reports indicating beneficial effects of EMF on cognitive
functions in these patients.
PMID: 7744553 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
43: Int J Neurosci. 1994 Sep;78(1-2):53-66.
Improvement by picoTesla range magnetic fields of perceptual-motor performance
and visual memory in a patient with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R, Iacono RP.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811.
The occurrence of cognitive deficits in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been
recognized since 1877 when Charcot first observed "enfeeblement of memory." It
is now recognized that visuoperceptive and visuomotor deficits commonly occur
in
MS patients particularly in those with a chronic progressive course of the
disease. Using various drawing tests as markers of constructional performance,
we reported recently that treatment with picoTesla range magnetic fields (MF)
rapidly improved visuoperceptive and constructional abilities in patients with
MS. We now report a 58 year old man with a 37 year history of chronic
progressive MS in whom external application of MF in the picoTesla range
produced rapid improvement of neurologic symptoms including walking, balance,
sensory symptoms, and bladder functions. The patient's recovery was associated
with a significant improvement in perceptual-motor functions as demonstrated
on
the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure and the Trail Making tests. Specifically,
the
patient demonstrated a 41% improvement over pretest values on copying the
Complex figure and a 72% improvement in recall of the figure immediately after
MF treatment. A further 4% improvement on copying the figure and a 27%
improvement on recall was demonstrated 24 hours later. On the Trail Making
test
the patient demonstrated an overall improvement of 39% in Part A of the test
and
a 24% improvement in Part B of the test 24 hours after application of MF. These
findings confirm the beneficial effects of picoTesla range MF in the treatment
of MS and demonstrate the unique efficacy of this treatment modality in
improving some of the cognitive deficits of the disease.
PMID: 7829292 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
44: Int J Neurosci. 1994 Sep;78(1-2):103-9.
The effects of picoTesla range magnetic fields on visuospatial functions in
multiple sclerosis.
Sandy R, Derpapas K.
Publication Types:
Letter
PMID: 7829284 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
45: Rev Environ Health. 1994 Apr-Jun;10(2):127-34.
Pulsed magnetotherapy in Czechoslovakia--a review.
Jerabek J.
National Institute of Public Health, Praha, Czech Republic.
Pulsed magnetotherapy has been used in Czechoslovakia for more than one decade.
It has been proved that this type of physical therapy is very efficient mainly
in rheumatic diseases, in paediatrics (sinusitis, enuresis), and in
balneological care of patients suffering from ischaemic disorders of lower
extremities. Promising results have also been obtained in neurological diseases
(multiple sclerosis, spastic conditions) and in ophthalmology, in degenerative
diseases of the retina.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 8047671 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
46: Int J Neurosci. 1994 Jan-Feb;74(1-4):177-89.
Multiple sclerosis: improvement of visuoperceptive functions by picoTesla
range
magnetic fields.
Sandyk R, Iacono RP.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811.
The occurrence of cognitive deficits in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been
recognized since 1877 when Charcot first observed "enfeeblement of memory" in
his patients. Recent studies employing standardized neuropsychological tests
have confirmed the high incidence of cognitive deficits in MS patients
particularly those with a chronic progressive course of the disease.
Visuoperceptive and visuomotor deficits commonly occur in MS patients and are
thought to reflect damage to attentional systems due to interruption by
demyelinating plaques of nerve conduction along the ascending projections from
the brainstem reticular formation to the cortex. Impairment of synaptic
conductivity due to serotoninergic depletion (5-HT) may contribute to the
emergence of cognitive deficits in MS. The present communication concerns a
36
year old patient with MS in whom external application of picoTesla range
magnetic fields (MF) resulted in rapid improvement of symptoms including
visuoperceptive functions as demonstrated on various drawing tasks. The report
confirms the efficacy of picoTesla range MF in the treatment of MS and
demonstrates beneficial effects on cognitive functions as well.
PMID: 7928104 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
47: Int J Neurosci. 1993 Jun;70(3-4):255-69.
Resolution of longstanding symptoms of multiple sclerosis by application of
picoTesla range magnetic fields.
Sandyk R, Iacono RP.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811.
Recent clinical reports have suggested that treatment with extremely weak
magnetic fields (MF) in the picoTesla range is an efficacious modality for
the
symptomatic therapy in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) during the
remission and exacerbation periods of the disease. The present communication
concerns a 64 year old woman with a 22 year history of MS of the
chronic-progressive type who presented with a longstanding history of ataxia
of
gait, weakness in the legs, difficulties with swallowing, loss of bladder
control, blurred vision, diplopia, chronic fatigue, and cognitive impairment.
In
this patient two 30 minute treatments with MF on two separate days resulted
in a
dramatic improvement of symptoms. Specifically, the patient experienced marked
improvement in balance and gait as well as increased strength in the legs to
the
extent that she was able to abandon the use of a walker within 48 hours after
initiation of magnetic treatment. In addition, there was complete resolution
of
diplopia, bladder dysfunction, and fatigue with improvement in mood and
cognitive functions. The report attests to the unique efficacy of extremely
weak
MF in the symptomatic treatment of patients with MS including those patients
with a chronic progressive course of the disease and supports the hypothesis
that dysfunction of synaptic conductivity due to neurotransmitter deficiency
specifically of serotonin rather than demyelination underlies the neurologic
deficits of the disease.
PMID: 8063544 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
48: Int J Neurosci. 1993 May;70(1-2):97-105.
Successful treatment of an acute exacerbation of multiple sclerosis by external
magnetic fields.
Sandyk R, Derpapas.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811.
A 55 year old woman with multiple sclerosis presented with a 5 week history
of
an exacerbation of symptoms. Prominent among these symptoms was trigeminal
neuralgia, migraine headaches, blurring of vision, and ataxia of gait. While
treatment with carbamazepine (TegretolR) (800 mg/d) and oral prednisolone (15
mg/d) over a 4 week period produced no improvement in symptoms, externally
applied magnetic fields (MF) (7.5 picoTesla; 5 Hz) placed over the scalp for
a 7
minute period on three different days resulted in a complete resolution of
symptoms within two weeks of initiation of treatment. Partial relief of the
neuralgic pain and headaches was obtained immediately after completion of the
first treatment indicating that resolution of symptoms was related to the
effects of MF and not to a spontaneous remission. This is the first report
demonstrating the clinical efficacy of pico Tesla range MF in rapidly resolving
an acute relapse of MS.
PMID: 8083029 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
49: Int J Neurosci. 1993 Feb;68(3-4):241-53.
Magnetic fields normalize visual evoked potentials and brainstem auditory
evoked
potentials in multiple sclerosis.
Sandyk R, Derpapas K.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811.
The present communication concerns a 46 year old woman with a 10 year history
of
chronic progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) in whom external application of
magnetic fields (MF) (7.5 picoTesla; 5 Hz) during a period of remission resulted
in a rapid and dramatic improvement in symptoms including vision, cerebellar
symptomatology (ataxia and dysarthria), mood, sleep, bowel and bladder functions
as well as fatigue. Improvement in the patient's symptoms was associated with
normalization of the pretreatment latencies of the visual evoked potentials
and
brainstem auditory evoked potential responses within a week after initiation
of
magnetic treatment. This report demonstrates that treatment with picoTesla
MF is
an effective, nonpharmacological modality in the management of MS and for the
first time documents reversal of abnormal evoked potential responses by this
treatment. The pineal gland is a magnetosensor. As MF affect the release of
the
pineal gland's principal hormone, melatonin, it is hypothesized that the effects
of picoTesla MF in MS are partly mediated by the pineal gland which has recently
been implicated in the pathogenesis of MS (Sandyk, 1992 a; b).
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 8063529 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
50: Int J Neurosci. 1992 Oct;66(3-4):237-50.
Successful treatment of multiple sclerosis with magnetic fields.
Sandyk R.
NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811.
The present communication concerns a 50 year-old woman with a 15 year history
of
chronic-progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) in whom extracranial application
of
picoTesla magnetic fields (MF) produced a dramatic and sustained improvement
in
disability. In contrast, administration of melatonin (3 mg, P.O.) produced
in
this patient a rapid exacerbation of disability which was reversed subsequently
by treatment with MF. It is hypothesized that the therapeutic effects of
picoTesla MF involve the mediation of the pineal gland which is known to act
as
a magnetosensor. The report demonstrates, for the first time, the remarkable
efficacy of weak MF in the symptomatic treatment of chronic-progressive MS
and
underscores the pivotal role of the pineal gland in the pathophysiology of
MS.
If confirmed by a larger cohort of patients, extracranial application of
picoTesla MF may prove as an extremely efficacious, nonpharmacological modality
for the treatment of MS.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 1305621 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
 |
Multi-Pulsar
|
Totally
Solid State Design,