Re: Magnetic Therapy

[John Cottingham <jcott@xxxxxxxxx>]

Magnetic field experimentation is noted in the literature. If my memory
serves me correct, your mentor, Dr Iacono participated in one that was
published. I believe that this was before he 'rediscovered' pallidotomy
which has practically beaten Parkinson's Disease as a disease, paraphrasing
his words.

The abstracts in my archive concerning such studies are these:

Unique Identifier
  95080903
Authors
  Sandyk R.
Institution
  Neuro Communication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811.
Title
  Improvement in word-fluency performance in Parkinson's disease by
  administration of electromagnetic fields. [Review]
Source
  International Journal of Neuroscience.  77(1-2):23-46, 1994 Jul.
Abstract
  The association between degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopamine (DA)
  system and the motor manifestations of Parkinson's disease (PD) provided
  the impetus for the development of DA replacement therapy. However,
  clinical experience has demonstrated that DA-ergic drugs, while
  attenuating the motor symptoms of PD, have little or no consistent effect
  on the mental and cognitive symptoms of the disease which are thought to
  be related partly to degeneration of the meso-cortico-limbic DA system.
  Thus, failure of DA-ergic drugs to improve the mental and cognitive
  deficits of PD indicates that these agents cannot fully restore DA
  functions in the meso-cortico-limbic circuits. The present communication
  concerns five fully medicated Parkinsonian patients in whom application of
  a series of treatments with electromagnetic fields (EMF) of extremely low
  intensity (in the picotesla range) and frequency (5-8Hz) produced a
  dramatic improvement in performance on Thurstone's World-Fluency Test, a
  sensitive marker of frontal lobe functions. These findings suggest that in
  contrast to DA replacement therapy application of low intensity EMF may
  improve frontal lobe functions in patients with PD presumably by
  augmenting DA activity in the mesocortical system. As deficiency of the
  frontal DA system has been implicated also in the development of akinesia
  and freezing in PD these observations may explain the beneficial effects
  of EMF on the motor manifestations of the disease. [References: 150]

<2>
Unique Identifier
  95080907
Authors
  Sandyk R.  Iacono RP.
Institution
  NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811.
Title
  Reversal of micrographia in Parkinson's disease by application of
  picoTesla range magnetic fields.
Source
  International Journal of Neuroscience.  77(1-2):77-84, 1994 Jul.
Abstract
  Micrographia, a common and often early sign of Parkinson's disease (PD),
  is a sensitive clinical marker of the severity of bradykinesia and
  rigidity in the disease. As micrographia may be reversed by treatment with
  dopaminergic drugs and may emerge during therapy with neuroleptic agents,
  it is thought to reflect striatal dopaminergic deficiency. It has been
  reported recently that external application of picoTesla range magnetic
  fields (MF) produced a dramatic improvement in the motor symptoms of PD
  suggesting that these weak MF enhance striatal dopaminergic
  neurotransmission. In the present communication, we present a 61 year old
  patient with PD in whom picoTesla range MF attenuated the severity of
  bradykinesia and rigidity, improved postural stability, and rapidly
  reversed the micrographia within 30 minutes after termination of
  treatment. In contrast, sham (placebo) MF did not influence the severity
  of the motor symptoms of the disease or the associated micrographia. This
  report demonstrates the antiParkinsonian effect of picoTesla range MF and
  highlights the unique efficacy of these weak MF in the therapy of
  Parkinsonism.

<3>
Unique Identifier
  95013078
Authors
  Awerbuch GI.  Sandyk R.
Institution
  Department of Neurology, Bay Medical Center, Bay City, Michigan 48706.
Title
  Autonomic functions in the early stages of Parkinson's disease.
Source
  International Journal of Neuroscience.  74(1-4):9-16, 1994 Jan-Feb.
Abstract
  Disturbances of autonomic nervous functions are common in patients with
  Parkinson's disease (PD) and may develop as a result of pathological
  changes in centers of autonomic regulation such as the hypothalamus,
  brainstem, and sympathetic ganglia. We examined cardiovascular reflexes
  using bedside, noninvasive procedures in 20 unmedicated PD patients with
  early stages of the disease (stage 1 and 2 on the Hoehn and Yahr's scale).
  Sixteen patients (80%) exhibited some degree of autonomic nervous system
  dysfunction. These included predominantly cardiovascular functions
  mediated via the parasympathetic system. Our findings demonstrate: (a) a
  high prevalence of autonomic disturbances in early stage PD, and (b) that
  dysregulation of parasympathetic cardiovascular control mechanisms is a
  major feature of dysautonomia in early, unmedicated PD patients.

<4>
Unique Identifier
  95013064
Authors
  Sandyk R.
Institution
  NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811.
Title
  Treatment of Parkinson's disease with magnetic fields reduces the
  requirement for antiparkinsonian medications.
Source
  International Journal of Neuroscience.  74(1-4):191-201, 1994 Jan-Feb.
Abstract
  Recently, I reported that extracranial treatment with picoTesla range
  magnetic fields (MF) is an effective, safe, and revolutionary modality in
  the management of Parkinsonism including those patients manifesting
  levodopa-induced motor complications. This treatment, which has emerged as
  a potentially more advantageous modality than pharmacologic therapy, also
  produces improvements in nonmotor aspects of the disease including mood,
  cognitive functions, sleep, pain, appetite, autonomic functions, and
  sexual behavior, which are usually minimally, if at all, ameliorated by
  long term therapy with levodopa or anticholinergic agents. The present
  communication concerns a 69 year old Parkinsonian patient who, following a
  series of two treatments with extracranial picoTesla range MF on two
  separate days, improved to the point where he was able to discontinue most
  of his antiparkinsonian medications for a period of two weeks without
  experiencing deterioration in symptoms. On the third week he began to
  develop recurrence of symptoms and resumed taking his regular medications.
  At the end of the fourth week the patient received a series of four
  magnetic treatments on four successive days after he completely
  discontinued his antiparkinsonian medications. During this period he
  experienced a remarkable improvement in motor disability as well as in
  cognitive functions (i.e., visuospatial performance), mood, sleep,
  appetite, bowel functions and resolution of pain in the lower extremity.
  This report attests to the antiparkinsonian efficacy of picoTesla range MF
  and suggests that this treatment, when applied on a regular basis, may
  reduce the requirement for antiparkinsonian medications. This observation,
  when confirmed in a larger cohort of patients, may carry important
  implications for the therapy of Parkinsonism as it may offer an
  alternative treatment for patients who develop levodopa failure or
  experience intolerable side effects from dopaminergic medication. The
  observation that magnetic treatment improved the patient's symptoms while
  being off dopaminergic therapy supports the role of nondopaminergic
  mechanisms in the pathophysiology of Parkinsonism.

<5>
Unique Identifier
  94327299
Authors
  Sandyk R.
Institution
  NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury, CT 06811.
Title
  Reversal of a visuoconstructional deficit in Parkinson's disease by
  application of external magnetic fields: a report of five cases.
Source
  International Journal of Neuroscience.  75(3-4):213-28, 1994 Apr.
Abstract
  Visuoperceptive and visuomotor deficits are among the most frequently
  encountered abnormalities in neuropsychological testing of patients with
  Parkinson's disease, being present in up to 90% of cases. Clinically, the
  presence of visuoperceptive and visuomotor impairment may not be noted by
  Parkinsonian patients but may contribute to various functional
  disabilities including difficulties operating a vehicle, ambulating, and
  dressing. The present communication concerns five medicated Parkinsonian
  patients who responded to extracranial treatment with magnetic fields in
  the picotesia range intensity with improvement in motor, behavioral, and
  autonomic functions as well as visuoconstructional tasks as demonstrated
  on the Bicycle Drawing test. Specifically, prior to treatment with
  magnetic fields these patients failed to draw the spokes in the wheels of
  a bicycle that extended completely to the periphery of the rim. I
  considered this observation to reflect a specific visuoconstructional
  deficit inherent to the Parkinsonian disease process. This
  visuoconstructional impairment was reversed, however, by external
  applications of magnetic fields. The report supports prior observations
  demonstrating that picotesla range intensity magnetic fields may bring
  about reversal of specific cognitive deficits in Parkinsonian patients.



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