Altered cortical excitability in subjectively electrosensitive patients: results of a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
Hypersensitivity to electromagnetic fields is frequently claimed to be linked to a variety of unspecific somatic and/or neuropsychological complaints. Whereas provocation studies often failed to demonstrate a causal relationship between electromagnetic field exposure and symptom formation, neurophysiological examinations highlight baseline deviations in people claiming to be electrosensitive.


METHODS
To elucidate a potential role of dysfunctional cortical regulations in mediating hypersensitivity to electromagnetic fields, cortical excitability parameters were measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation in subjectively electrosensitive patients (n=23) and two control groups (n=49) differing in their level of unspecific health complaints.


RESULTS
Electrosensitive patients showed reduced intracortical facilitation as compared to both control groups, while motor thresholds and intracortical inhibition were unaffected.


CONCLUSIONS
This pilot study gives additional evidence that altered central nervous system function may account for symptom manifestation in subjectively electrosensitive patients as has been postulated for several chronic multisymptom illnesses sharing a similar clustering of symptoms.
Landgrebe
Michael
M
Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
Hauser
Simone
S
Langguth
Berthold
B
Frick
Ulrich
U
Hajak
Göran
G
Eichhammer
Peter
P
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004576:Electromyography; D018876:Environmental Illness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000502:physiology; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D012803:Sick Role; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation