title: MEG evaluation of pico-Tesla external TMS on multiple sclerosis patients.
abstract: Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recordings of 10 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients (2 men, 8 women, mean 41.3±9.5 years, mean disease duration 12.7±7.2 years) were obtained using a whole-head 122 - channel MEG system in a magnetically shielded room of low magnetic noise. Our experimental design was double-blind in order to look for possible effect of external pico - Tesla Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (pT-TMS). The external pT-TMS was applied on the MS patients with proper field characteristics (magnetic field amplitude: 1-7.5pT, frequency: the alpha-rhythm of the patient 8-13Hz) which were obtained prior to the application of pT-TMS. Each MS patient had two separate recording sessions consisting of 3 runs in between where were given real or sham pT-TMS. It was then tried to predict the real and sham stimulation sessions based on the changes in the mean peak frequency difference (MPFD) observed in the brain of the patients in the 2-7Hz frequency band. After unblinding it was found a significant effect of an increase of frequencies in the range of 2-7Hz across the subjects followed by an improvement and normalization of the MEG.
authors.affiliation: Lab. of Medical Physics, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupoli 68100, Greece. Electronic address: pans.photios.anninos@gmail.com.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anninos
authors.affiliation: Lab. of Medical Physics, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupoli 68100, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adamopoulos
authors.affiliation: Lab. of Medical Physics, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupoli 68100, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kotini
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Polytechnic School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupoli 68100, Greece.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsagas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000513:Alpha Rhythm; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Brain frequencies; Double blind; MEG; MS; pT-TMS