Evaluation of the Effect of pico-Tesla Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Patients with Various CNS Disorders Using the SQUID

摘要

MEG recordings of patients with CNS disorders were obtained using a whole-head 122-channel magnetometer SQUID and analyzed using Fourier statistical analysis. External magnetic stimulation in the order of pico Tesla (pTMS) was applied on the above patients with proper characteristics(magnetic field amplitude: 1-7.5pT, frequency: the alpha-rhythm of the patient:8-13Hz) which were obtained with MEG recordings prior to pTMS. The MEG recordings after the application of pTMSshown a rapid attenuation of the high abnormal activity followed by an increase of the number of the low frequency components toward the patients alpha-rhythm. The possible mechanisms by which the magnetic stimulation is acting are discussed.