Research References Hartwig Roman Siebner and John Rothwell,
Transcranial magnetic stimulation: new insights into representational
cortical plasticity, Brain Research 148:1-16, 2003. ...
transcranial magnetic stimulation TMS, is produced by passing a very
brief high-current pulse through an insulated coil of wire held over the
scalp ... pulse induces rapidly changing magnetic field [that] passes readily
into the brain where it induces electrical currents that will ... generate
action potentials ......
conditioning effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation
are not limited to the stimulated cortex
but give rise to functional changes in interconnected cortical pathways
... periods of transcranial magnetic stimulation can sometimes
produce effects that outlast the duration of the stimulus ...
[the
effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation, can also be
achieved with repetitive thought & movement ... ie body-mind, as shown
by Hunt, Lipton, Myss, Ornstein, Schwartz ... although the authors recognize
that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, they maintain
the therapeutic approach to finding external applied techniques, rather
than exploring the power of the mind to effect transcranial magnetic
stimulation with repeated thought and movement ... em]
*
Chris Fraser, Maxine Power, Shaheen Hamdy,
John Rothwell, David Hobday, Igor Hollander, Pippa Tyrell, Anthony Hobson,
Steven Williams, and David Thompson, Driving Plasticity in Human Adult
Motor Cortex Is Associated with Improved Motor Function after Brain Injury,
Neuron 34:831-840, 2002. Changes
in somatosensory input can remodel human cortical motor organization, yet
the input characteristics that promote reorganization and their functional
significance have not been explored. [depends
how much background reading is done ... Hunt, Lipton, Myss, Ornstein, Schwartz
are just a few researchers who have explored plasticity of human brain
... em]
...
belief that harnessing plasticity may be one method to improve recovery
of human function following brain injury ... there has been no direct demonstration
in man ... relevant to clinical rehabilitation ... Introduction ... aim
of this study was to explore the possible link between physiologic cortical
reorganization and its practical application to clinical rehabilitation
... Conclusion ... sensory induced changes in corticobulbar
excitability provide the strongest evidence yet for functionally relevant
driven plasticity ...
Siebner HR, Rothwell J. Sobell , Transcranial
magnetic stimulation: new insights into representational cortical plasticity. Exp Brain Res. 2003 Jan;148(1):1-16.
Epub 2002 Nov 5. Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders,
Institute ofNeurology, 8-11
Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK. h.siebner@ion.ucl.ac.uk
In the last decade, transcranial
magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been used increasingly as a tool to explore
themechanisms and consequences
of cortical plasticity in the intact human cortex.
Because the spatial accuracy of the techniqueis
limited, we refer to this as plasticity at a regional level. Currently,
TMS is used to explore regional reorganization in three different ways. First, it can map changes
in the pattern of connectivity within and between different cortical areas
or their spinal projections. Important examples of
this approach can be found in the work on motor cortex representations
following avariety of interventions
such as immobilization, skill acquisition, or stroke. Second, TMS can be used
to investigate the behavioural relevance of these changes. By applying
TMS in its "virtual lesion" mode, it is possible to interfere
with cortical function and ask whether plastic reorganization within a
distinct cortical area improves function. Third, TMS can
be used to promote changes in cortical function. This is achieved by using
repetitive TMS (rTMS) to induceshort-term
functional reorganization in the human cortex. The magnitude and
the direction of rTMS-induced plasticity depend on extrinsic factors (i.e.
the variables of stimulation such as intensity,frequency,
and total number of stimuli) and intrinsic factors (i.e. the functional
state of the cortex targeted by rTMS). Since conditioning effectsof rTMS are not limited to the stimulated
cortex but give rise to functional changes in interconnected cortical areas,
rTMS is a suitable toolto investigate
plasticity within a distributed functional network. Indeed, the lasting
effects of rTMS offer new possibilities to studydynamic
aspects of the pathophysiology of a variety of diseases and may have therapeutic
potential in some neuropsychiatric disorders.
Fraser C, Power M, Hamdy S, Rothwell
J, Hobday D, Hollander I, Tyrell P, Hobson A, Williams S, Thompson D. Driving plasticity in human adult motor
cortex is associated with improved motor function after brain injury. Neuron.
2002 May 30;34(5):831-40. University Department of Gastroenterology,
Salford M6 8HD, UK. Changes in somatosensory
input can remodel human cortical motor organization, yet the input characteristics
that promotereorganization
and their functional significance have not been explored. Here we show
with transcranial magneticstimulation
that sensory-driven reorganization of human motor cortex is highly dependent
upon the frequency, intensity, and duration of stimulus applied. Those
patterns of input associated with enhanced excitability (5 Hz, 75% maximal
tolerated intensity for 10 min) inducestronger
cortical activation to fMRI. When applied to acutely dysphagic stroke patients,
swallowing corticobulbar excitabilityis
increased mainly in the undamaged hemisphere, being strongly correlated
with an improvement in swallowing function.Thus,
input to the human adult brain can be programmed to promote beneficial
changes in neuroplasticity and function after cerebral
injury.[em can be done with thought and movement!]
Sandyk R, Chronic Relapsing multiple
sclerosis: a case of rapid recovery by application of weak electromagnetic
fields. Int J Neurosci Jun 82(3-4):223-42,
1995. Neurocommunication Research Laboratories, Danbury CT 069111 USA ... application of 2
successive treatments of pulsed electromagnetic fields(EMFs) ... patient
experienced immediate improvement in symptoms, most dramatically, balance,
gait, speech and level of energy ... Report points to the unique capacity
of externally applied pT [em - picotesla - unit of magnetic flux density
or density of flow of magnetic field] range of 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 inresponse
to EMFs and supports the notion that dysfunction of synaptic conductivity
due to neurotransmitter deficiency ... contributes more significantlyto the development of MS symptoms than
the process of demyelination which clinically seem to represent an epiphenomenon
(secondary happening) of thedisease
...
[em- epiphenomenon
def secondary happening, dependent or subject to - an event.In other words: lack of nerve connections
is worse than damage to myelin!!Nerve
connections can be generated with visualization and movement. It has been
proven (see Lipton & Schwartz above] that the weak
magnetic fields of every thought and movement, cause changes in the
nervous system!]
