ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2004 October;163(5):165-71

Copyright © 2004 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Magnetoencephalographic analysis and magnetic stimulation in patients with Alzheimer disease

Abatzoglou I. ¹, Anninos P. ¹, Adamopoulos A. ¹, Tsagas N. ², Chourdakis K. ³

¹ Department of Medicine, Medical Physics Laboratory, Demokritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece; ² Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciencies, Laboratory of Nuclear Technology, Demokritus University of Thrace, Xanthi, Greece; ³ Department of Medicine Legale and Toxicology, Demokrition University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece

Aim. The magnetoencephalogram (MEG) is the magnetic activity emitted by the brain, which can be measured using a Superconductive Quantum Interference Device (SQUID). This method is non-invasive and MEG recordings were obtained from patients suffering from Alzheimer disease (AD).
Methods. The emitted magnetic activity was recorded from a total of 64 points of the skull (32 points from each temporal lobe). These MEG signals analyzed using Fourier statistical analysis and the spatial distribution of the magnetic power spectral amplitudes over the scalp was calculated. Following this calculation, ISO-SA maps were constructed from the average power spectral amplitudes in the 2-7 Hz frequency range. Using this method it is easy to detect the existence of abnormal points, due to the fact that ISO-SA maps represent pictorially the projected neural brain activity on the scalp. Furthermore, external magnetic stimulation (EMS) with intensity 1-7.5pT, and frequency the α-rhythm of the patient (8-13 Hz) was applied in the left-right temporal, frontal-occipital and vertex regions and the emitted brain magnetic activity was recorded again.
Results. Some of the recorded points were observed to exhibit abnormal rhythmic activity, characterized by high amplitudes and low frequencies. The application of the EMS resulted in rapid attenuation of the abnormal brain activity of AD patients.
Conclusion. The findings that application of external magnetic fields of low intensities and frequencies produce attenuation in abnormal activity in AD patients indicates that this novel method may open new ways in AD treatment.