MadSci Network: Neuroscience
Query:

Re: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: how seriously should I take claims?

Date: Tue Aug 3 12:36:11 2004
Posted By: Robin Cooper, Faculty, neurobiology, Univ. of Kentucky
Area of science: Neuroscience
ID: 1090885022.Ns
Message:

Response: This is a really good question. Like so many "new" approaches to
health care one should be skeptical on their uses and suggested benefits.

This particular issue in transcranial stimulation by magnetic fields is one
of these new approaches that will likely experience the same skepticism. I
am sure there are researchers doubting and others promoting its effects.

However, there is now mounting evidence that there is merit to many of the
claims to the effects on the nervous system. For example, it is even being
used to help evaluate surgical procedures in the brain

>>>
Clinical Neurophysiology 
Volume 115, Issue 9 , Magnetoencephalography source localization and
surgical outcome in temporal lobe epilepsy.
We prospectively investigated the role of magnetoencephalography (MEG) in
localizing the seizure focus and in predicting outcome to surgical
resections for intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).
>>

Also there was a recent review of a book on the subject which I think would
be a great resource for you if you wanted to learn more about this subject.
From the depth of your question I am sure that you would be able to get the
take home messages of this book. You might even be able to get you local
library to purchase this book for their general readership.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current
stimulation. Proceedings of the 2nd International Magnetic Stimulation
(TMS) and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Symposium,
Göttingen, Germany, 11–14 June 2003. W. Supplement 56 to Clinical
Neurophysiology.
Paulus, F. Tergau, M.A. Nitsche, J.C. Rothwell, U. Ziemann and M. Hallett
(Eds.); Elsevier B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2003, 452 pages,
hardback, ISBN 0-444-51438-4.
by Joaquim Pereira Brasil-Neto

I think the comments by Brasil-Neto summarizes the whole point of which you
raise. Here is an excerpt of his review.
"TMS has also been considered as a therapeutic possibility in many
neurological and psychiatric disorders. This is illustrated by chapters 39
(treatment of chronic pain), 41 (epilepsy), 42 and 43 (depression).
Moreover, in chapter 36, Albrecht Struppler and co-workers describe their
results with repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (RPMS) as a tool to
change afferent input to the CNS in an attempt to induce therapeutic
plastic changes in the central pathways.
Finally, TMS continues to clarify normal CNS physiology and
pathophysiology, as illustrated by chapters 38 (cortical excitability in
restless legs syndrome), 40 (pain syndromes) and 43 (effects of ECT).
This book, being a collection of full-length papers by many authors,
suffers from the lack of a uniform writing style, but a very good job has
been made to organize the articles in a logical and meaningful sequence.
These interesting contributions clearly show that TMS and tDCS constitute a
very promising research field. Particularly impressive are the
after-effects of stimulation, which may be used, in the future, to modulate
cortical excitability in neuropsychiatric disorders.
On the whole, I think this book is an excellent addition to the library of
any researcher in the field of clinical neurophysiology, and a good source
of reference for neurologists and for anybody interested in exploring the
physiology of the human nervous system. "
Definitions: transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS); transcranial direct
current stimulation (tDCS); electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).


It will be very interesting to see where this field takes us in the future.

All the best,
Robin




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