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This citation and original abstract are from the EMF Database published by Information Ventures, Inc. SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF AN ACUTE EXACERBATION OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS BY EXTERNAL MAGNETIC FIELDS. (Eng.) Sandyk, R.; Derpapas, K. [NeuroCommunication Res. Labs., 36 Mill Plain Rd., Danbury, CT 06811 (R.S.); Dept. of Neuroscience, Inst. for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Services, Touro Coll., Dix Hills, NY 11746 (R.S.); Neurological Clinic IKA, Kallithea 17672, Athens, Greece (K.D.); P.O. Box 203, Bedford Hills, NY 10507 (RR/R.S.)] Int J Neurosci 70(1-2):97-105; 1993 Picotesla (pT)-level magnetic fields were applied through the scalp of a patient with multiple sclerosis (MS) with a therapeutic goal of alleviating the patient's symptoms such as neuralgia, ataxia of gait, blurred vision, and migraine headaches. The patient (a 55-yr-old woman) had presented with a 5-wk history of an exacerbation of symptoms with no relief gained from pharmacologic therapy. Magnetic fields (MFs) were applied to the patient's scalp with a 16-coil magnetic probe consisting of 3.14-cm2 coils which generated fields with lines of force parallel to the axis of the coil and creating an entirely uniform MF. For this patient, alternating MFs with a frequency of 5 Hz and a strength of 7.5 pT were applied. MF stimulation was performed for 7 min at 2000 hours on 3 different days. This treatment resulted in a complete resolution of symptoms within 2 wk of treatment initiation. Partial relief of the neuralgic pain and headaches was obtained immediately after completion of the first treatment indicating that resolution of symptoms was related to the effects of MF and not to a spontaneous remission. The authors proposed that the therapeutic effect was not due to remyelination since the response was immediate; however, the effects may be attributed to improvement in synaptic functions due to enhancement of neurotransmitter, such as serotonin (5-HT) which is regulated down by the pineal hormone melatonin. MF stimulation has been shown to decrease pineal melatonin activity and thus may enhance the activity of 5- HT. The authors postulate that longer-term therapeutic results may be attributed to remyelination as MF's effects on the pineal and melatonin secretion may have altered immune responses, thus attenuating the autoimmune process directed against myelin by blocking macrophage functions. (55 Refs). [Copyright 1994, Information Ventures, Inc.] Keywords: Multiple sclerosis, Magnetic fields, Trigeminal neuralgia, Migraine, Pineal gland Information Ventures, Inc., [log in to unmask]