Intermittent burst-firing weak (1 microTesla) magnetic fields reduce psychometric depression in patients who sustained closed head injuries: a replication and electroencephalographic validation

The Influence of Burst-Firing EMF on Forskolin-Induced Pheochromocytoma (PC12) Plasma Membrane Extensions

Previous research has demonstrated that pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells treated with forskolin provides a model for the in vitro examination of neuritogenesis. Exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs), especially those which have been designed to mimic biological function, can influence the functions of various biological systems. We aimed to assess whether exposure of PC12 cells treated with forskolin to patterned EMF would produce more plasma membrane extensions (PME) as compared to PC12 cells treated with forskolin alone (i.e., no EMF exposure). In addition, we aimed to determine whether the differences observed between the proportion of PME of PC12 cells treated with forskolin and exposed to EMF were specific to the intensity, pattern, or timing of the applied EMF. Our results showed an overall increase in PME for PC12 cells treated with forskolin and exposed to Burst-firing EMF as compared to PC12 cells receiving forskolin alone. No other patterned EMF investigated were deemed to be effective. Furthermore, intensity and timing of the Burst-firing pattern did not significantly alter the proportion of PME of PC12 cells treated with forskolin and exposed to patterned EMF.

High-Frequency and Low-Intensity Patterned Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation over Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex as Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder: A Report of 3 Cases

Current transcranial magnetic stimulation devices apply intense (near 1 tesla) repetitive magnetic pulses over a specific area of the skull at relatively lower frequencies (1-50 Hz). Nevertheless, different studies have shown that very small magnetic fields, at higher frequencies (50-1000 Hz.), produce therapeutic effects in major depressive disorder. We report the application of high-frequency and low-intensity patterned magnetic pulses over the left prefrontal dorsolateral cortex in three subjects diagnosed with clinical major depressive disorder. All three patients showed sharp changes in their self-reports as well as in the standardized clinical assessment. Hypothesized mechanisms of action of this new variant of magnetic stimulation are discussed.

Does Phase-Modulation of Applied 40-Hz Transcerebral Magnetic Fields Affect Subjective Experiences and Hypnotic Induction?

12 men and 12 women were exposed to a sham-field, a 5-Hz sine-wave magnetic field, a 40-Hz sine-wave magnetic field, or the latter field-phase modulated five times per sec. (5-Hz) for 30 min. between two administrations of the Spiegel's Hypnotic Induction Profile. To replicate the geometry that has produced significant increases in these scores in previous studies, the weak (1 microT) magnetic fields were applied over the right parietotemporal region through a modified helmet. The hypothesis that the enhanced suggestibility previously observed was due to an intrinsic phase-modulation of the fields was not supported. However, the ratings of overall pleasantness of the experiences were negatively correlated ( r = –.36) with global geomagnetic activity at the time of the experiment. The pleasantness was ranked significantly greater by subjects exposed to the 40-Hz field (explaining 41% of the variance) relative to subjects exposed to the 5-Hz field who also reported more visual experiences within their left peripheral visual fields. The percentages of time alpha rhythms were measured over the temporal lobes (but not frontal or occipital lobes) during the treatments were moderately and positively correlated with scores on questionnaires administered before the experiment, from which the capacity to imagine, temporal lobe signs, and religious (but not exotic) beliefs were inferred. The groups exposed to either the 5-Hz or 40-Hz/5-Hz phase-modulated field displayed greater durations of alpha rhythms over the temporal lobes than the other two groups.

Synergistic interactions between temporal coupling of complex light and magnetic pulses upon melanoma cell proliferation and planarian regeneration

Synergisms between a physiologically patterned magnetic field that is known to enhance planarian growth and suppress proliferation of malignant cells in culture and three light emitting diode (LED) generated visible wavelengths (blue, green, red) upon planarian regeneration and melanoma cell numbers were discerned. Five days of hourly exposures to either a physiologically patterned (2.5-5.0 μT) magnetic field, one of three wavelengths (3 kLux) or both treatments simultaneously indicated that red light (680 nm), blue light (470 nm) or the magnetic field significantly facilitated regeneration of planarian compared to sham field exposed planarian. Presentation of both light and magnetic field conditions enhanced the effect. Whereas the blue and red light diminished the growth of malignant (melanoma) cells, the effect was not as large as that produced by the magnetic field. Only the paired presentation of the blue light and magnetic field enhanced the suppression. On the other hand, the changes following green light (540 nm) exposure did not differ from the control condition and green light presented with the magnetic field eliminated its effects for both the planarian and melanoma cells. These results indicate specific colors affect positive adaptation that is similar to weak, physiologically patterned frequency modulated (8-24 Hz) magnetic fields and that the two forms of energy can synergistically summate or cancel.

Comparisons of responses by planarian to micromolar to attomolar dosages of morphine or naloxone and/or weak pulsed magnetic fields: revealing receptor subtype affinities and non-specific effects

PURPOSE

The behavioral responses of planaria to the exposures of a range of concentrations of morphine (μM to attoM) or the μ-opiate antagonist naloxone or to either of these compounds and a burst-firing magnetic field (5 μT) were studied.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The locomotor velocity (LMV) of planaria was measured after individual worms were exposed to increasing concentrations from attomolar to micromolar of morphine or naloxone, physiologically patterned magnetic fields or a combination of the two.

RESULTS

Compared to spring water controls, the 2-hour exposure to the patterned magnetic field before measurement reduced activity by about 50% which was comparable to the non-specific effects of morphine and naloxone across all dosages except 1 attomolar that did not differ from spring water. The specific dosage of 100 nM produced additional marked reduction in activity for planaria exposed to either morphine or naloxone while only 1 pM of morphine produced this effect.

CONCLUSION

The results support the presence of at least two receptor subtypes that mediate the diminished activity effects elicited by morphine specifically and suggests that exposure to the specifically patterned magnetic field produces a behavioral suppression whose magnitude is similar to the 'dose independent' effects from this opiate.

Potential production of Hughlings Jackson's "parasitic consciousness" by physiologically-patterned weak transcerebral magnetic fields: QEEG and source localization

Exotic experiences such as the sensing of another consciousness or the detachment of consciousness from the body are occasionally reported by individuals with partial seizures from a temporal lobe focus. The experiences display the characteristics of Hughlings Jackson's "parasitic consciousness". We have hypothesized that these experiences are encouraged by slight discrepancies in hemispheric activity that can be simulated by application of weak, physiologically-patterned magnetic fields across the cerebral hemispheres. Electroencephalographic and Low Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography (sLORETA) data revealed altered activity bands within specific regions within the cerebral cortices during these experiences. The clear changes in power of brain activity were discerned after consistent durations of exposure to specifically patterned weak magnetic fields. Millisecond range point durations were required. The technology may be useful to explore the subjective components associated with complex partial seizures.

Treatment for depression following mild traumatic brain injury in adults: a meta-analysis

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE

Development of depression after TBI is linked to poorer outcomes. The aim of this manuscript is to review evidence for the effectiveness of current treatments.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Two meta-analyses were undertaken to examine the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for depression after mild TBI.

METHOD AND PROCEDURES

PubMed, Medline, PsychInfo, Web of Science and Digital Dissertations were searched and 13 studies located. Meta Analyst Beta 3.13 was used to conduct analyses of pre- vs post-effects then to examine treatment group vs control group effects.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

Studies using a pre-post design produced an overall effect size of 1.89 (95% CI = 1.20-2.58, p < 0.001), suggesting that treatments were effective; however, the overall effect for controlled trials was 0.46 (95% CI = -0.44-1.36, p < 0.001), which favoured the control rather than treatment groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the need for additional large well-controlled trials of effective treatments for depression post-TBI.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Depression is one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses among individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Prevalence of post-TBI depression (PTBID) ranges from 12 to 60% and is generally higher than rates reported in the general population. The wide range in reported rates is attributed to methodological variability across studies, including measurement and sampling differences. Several systematic reviews have been published in the past 5 years, reporting on outcomes for depression across different classes of interventions, including pharmacological, biomedical and behavioural. The consensus across reviews is that more research is necessary to develop evidence-based practice guidelines. The present narrative review synthesises the findings of previous studies, focusing on the nature of the interventions, the eligibility criteria for inclusion and the assessment of outcome. Pharmacological studies are generally more rigorous methodologically, but provide mixed findings. Other biomedical interventions are only at the initial stages of research development, including case and pilot studies. The results of behavioural studies are positive regarding improvements in mood. However, the number of efficacy studies of behavioural interventions for depression is extremely limited. Recommendations for designing interventions are provided.

Can the 8-Coil Shakti Alter Subjective Emotional Experience? A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study

At present, a commercially available device (the 8-coil Shakti) claims to produce weak and complex magnetic fields that alter neurobiological processes. The effects of the Shakti on emotional responses to photographs that varied on emotional valence were investigated. Participants ( N = 37) were exposed to either 30 min. of magnetic fields or a sham condition and rated their emotional reactions to a set of 54 color photographs. Although participants indicated significantly different emotional responses to images with distinct emotional valences, exposure to magnetic fields did not affect these responses, nor significantly interact with image emotional valence. Although the device's “amygdala signal” had no effect on the emotive response to images in this study, additional investigations examining the effects of weak and complex magnetic fields on various aspects of perception and cognition are warranted.

Emergence of complex partial epilepsy-like experiences following closed head injuries: personality variables and neuropsychological profiles

To pursue Richard Roberts' epileptic spectrum disorder (ESD) and the emergence of complex partial epilepsy-like experiences, items and total scores for the ESD Inventory were examined for 185 patients who had sustained mechanical impacts (and were diagnosed with or without neuropsychological impairment) and a reference group (n=68) of university students. Results from neuropsychological, personality, neurological screening, and interview data supported the role of temporal lobe origins for these experiences. The incidences of these experiences were sufficient to adversely affect adaptation and to produce psychiatric profiles. Although only 70% of the patients who were impaired versus not impaired could be differentiated by items from the ESD Inventory, >95% of the patients with scores >100 on the ESD Inventory displayed abnormal scores on more than four Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory scales. These results support Roberts' ESD concept and strongly suggest that persistent, subclinical occurrence of these experiences could be the cause or major correlate of neuropsychological impairment for these patients.

Emerging synergisms between drugs and physiologically-patterned weak magnetic fields: implications for neuropharmacology and the human population in the twenty-first century

Synergisms between pharmacological agents and endogenous neurotransmitters are familiar and frequent. The present review describes the experimental evidence for interactions between neuropharmacological compounds and the classes of weak magnetic fields that might be encountered in our daily environments. Whereas drugs mediate their effects through specific spatial (molecular) structures, magnetic fields mediate their effects through specific temporal patterns. Very weak (microT range) physiologically-patterned magnetic fields synergistically interact with drugs to strongly potentiate effects that have classically involved opiate, cholinergic, dopaminergic, serotonergic, and nitric oxide pathways. The combinations of the appropriately patterned magnetic fields and specific drugs can evoke changes that are several times larger than those evoked by the drugs alone. These novel synergisms provide a challenge for a future within an electromagnetic, technological world. They may also reveal fundamental, common physical mechanisms by which magnetic fields and chemical reactions affect the organism from the level of fundamental particles to the entire living system.

Treatment for depression after traumatic brain injury: a systematic review

The aim of this systematic review was to critically evaluate the evidence on interventions for depression following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and provide recommendations for clinical practice and future research. We reviewed pharmacological, other biological, psychotherapeutic, and rehabilitation interventions for depression following TBI from the following data sources: PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ProQuest, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. We included studies written in English published since 1980 investigating depression and depressive symptomatology in adults with TBI; 658 articles were identified. After reviewing the abstracts, 57 articles met the inclusion criteria. In addition to studies describing interventions designed to treat depression, we included intervention studies in which depressive symptoms were reported as a secondary outcome. At the end of a full review in which two independent reviewers extracted data, 26 articles met the final criteria that included reporting data on participants with TBI, and using validated depression diagnostic or severity measures pre- and post-treatment. Three external reviewers also examined the study methods and evidence tables, adding 1 article, for a total of 27 studies. Evidence was classified based on American Academy of Neurology criteria. The largest pharmacological study enrolled 54 patients, and none of the psychotherapeutic/rehabilitation interventions prospectively targeted depression. This systematic review documents that there is a paucity of randomized controlled trials for depression following TBI. Serotonergic antidepressants and cognitive behavioral interventions appear to have the best preliminary evidence for treating depression following TBI. More research is needed to provide evidence-based treatment recommendations for depression following TBI.

INFLUENCE OF A COMPLEX MAGNETIC FIELD APPLICATION IN RATS UPON THERMAL NOCICEPTIVE THRESHOLDS: THE IMPORTANCE OF POLARITY AND TIMING

The application of a weak (1 microTesla) complex magnetic field pattern with a relevant electrophysiological signature produced an analgesic response in rats to thermal stimuli when the pattern was presented once every 4 sec for 30 min through iron-core solenoids. In one experiment, the burst-firing pattern was presented once every 4 s for 30 min and restricted to the positive polarity, negative polarity or a bipolar equivalent. The strongest analgesia occurred when the burst-firing pattern was presented with positive polarity or as the typical bipolar signal. Administrations of the burst-firing pattern once per week for four consecutive weeks produced analgesia that was clearly evident during the first, third, and fourth weeks but not during the second week of treatment. A telephone sensor coil (that can be readily obtained from local electronic shops) was then used instead of the solenoids along with an audio (.wav) file to generate the magnetic field; the analgesia was still apparent. However, when the magnetic pattern was generated from a compact disc source the analgesia was not evoked. The current results suggest that these fields can be generated through simple commercial devices controlled by available computer software.

Electrophysiological and quantitative electroencephalographic measurements after treatment by transcerebral magnetic fields generated by compact disc through a computer sound card: the Shakti treatment

Quantitative electroencephalographic activity over the left and right frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes was obtained on 4 successive weeks in 12 subjects before they were exposed cerebrally for 30 min to one of two configurations of weak complex magnetic fields or to a sham-field condition. The two configurations were Shakti (c Todd Murphy) and the set of 4 solenoids (Koren boxes) generating a burst-firing magnetic field through the temporal lobes. Compared to baseline measurements there were no statistically significant differences in treatments for relative changes in power over these regions within the delta, theta, low alpha, beta, or gamma ranges. However within the high alpha range (10.5 Hz to 13 Hz), there was a significant interaction between session and type of treatment that was due primarily to the Shakti treatment. These changes were congruent with the subjective experiences reported by some users of the technology.

Weekly Treatments with a Burst-Firing Magnetic Field Alters Behavior in the Elevated plus Maze after Two Sessions

In a split-litter design, rats were either injected with 15 mg/kg of clomipramine or saline from postnatal Days 8 through 21. Other rats from the same litters were not injected. When the rats were 90 days of age, the rats were tested once per week for five weeks in an elevated plus maze that contained two open arms (no walls) and two walled arms. Following each test, they were exposed (total of 4 exposures) for 30 min. to a burst-firing magnetic field (1 microTesla) that has been shown to reduce depression in human beings. After two treatments, the rats exposed to the burst-firing fields spent about half the amount of time in the open arms compared to the sham-field exposed rats. The interaction between adult treatment and whether the rats had received the antidepressant before weaning was not significant statistically. These results suggest that at least two weekly sessions may be required before significant changes in behavior occur after weekly 30-min. exposures to these potentially “therapeutic” magnetic fields.