This is a subject that I have wanted to raise with other subscribers,
when I joined the network a few weeks ago. I had, however, wanted to make
a search of the archives on electromagnetic therapy in case I was
going over old ground, but these don't seem to be available at
present.

I first came across  references to this form of treatment in the
British Library Parkinson Medline  in 1994,  in abstracts
of  papers by Prof. Reuven Sandyk, of NeuroCommunication Research
Laboratories 36 Main Road  Danbury, CT 06811, USA,  which described
remarkable results obtained from the application of low frequency
electromagnetic fields in the picotesla range to the patients '
skulls.

These papers were published in the Intern. J. Neuroscience, and I
obtained photostats from 1991 Vol 60 pp. 141-171;. 1992 Vol 66 pp 97-
106;  1992 Vol. 66 pp. 209-235;  1993 Vol. 69 pp. 167-183;  1993 Vol.
70 pp. 85-86;  1994 Vol. 74 pp. 191-201;  1994 Vol 76 pp. 227-279.
The earliest paper has an Appendix which gives details of the
electronic device used.  The treatment, briefly, consists of applying
16 - 1cm. coils over a 3 in. x 3 in.  area of the skull in the
vicinity of the pineal gland, and applying an alternating electric current to
them which produces a  field magnitude of 7.5 picotesla with a
frequency of  2 - 5 Hz.

The  field strength is so small that anyone with a knowledge of
electric engineering would dismiss the possibility of it having any
effect as being completely out of hand. However, Sandyk, and a
number of Greek scientists - Prof Anninos, Drs Derpapas and Tsagas
from the Dept of Medical Physics of the Democrition University of
Thrace - claim to have treated several hundred patients with various
neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's, Alzhheimer's, M.S.
and epilepsy.

In most cases they claim to have achieved very beneficial effects -
"Improvement with magnetic therapy was noted not only in the motor
sphere (resting tremor, gait apraxia, postural instability) , but
also in nonmotor aspects of the disease including mood, sleep pain,
anorexia, autonomic and cognitive functions attesting to the unique
efficacy of external picoTesla range MF in the treatment of
Parkinsonism".  There does not appear to have been any untoward side
effects.

In none of the papers that I have read does Sandyk appear to give an
explanation for the efficacy of his treatment - it seems to be
mainly "this is what we did - this is what we got.  However, J I
Jacobson, Institute of Theoretical Physics and Advanced Studies for
Biophysical Research, 2006 Mainsail Circle Jupiter, FL 334377-1418,
USA in his paper "Pineal-hypothalamic tract mediation of picotesla
magnetic fields in the treatment of neurological disorders"
PANMINERVA MED 1994;36:201-5, attempts to provide a scientific
explanation.

Jacobson points out that the pineal and hypothalmic tissues are
piezoelectric i.e they will generate an electric current when
subjected to stress, such as in bending. Then. by the use of a
formula, called the Jacobson Resonance, which I wouldn't pretend to
understand, he calculates that the picotesla forces used by Sandyk
and his colleagues would cause these tissues to resonate and
presumably bend enough to cause them to generate an electric current,
leading, possibly to some regeneration.

I hope that the other subscribers don't feel that I have gone on too
much at length on this, but for the past year or so I have been
trying to find out if there is anything in Sandyk's treatment. Has
anyone on the network had it, or know some body who has, and if so is
it any good?.   None of the neurologists in the UK that I discussed
it with, think that it is any use, but they have not had any direct
experience.  I have written to both Sandyk and Anninos but have not
had any reply.

If it does work, it could be a relatively inexpensive form of
treatment - in several of the papers the patients took the device
home and treated themselves for several weeks. The coils must be very
cheap to make, and the signal generator, as described by Anninos,
cannot cost much more than stlg2/300.

Any comments from any one?

with best wishes to you all
   from
Ray Lakin  (e-mail [log in to unmask])