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Biomedical subjects

K Derpapas

Publications and source records attributed to K Derpapas.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Successful treatment of respiratory dyskinesia with picoTesla range magnetic fields.

Respiratory dyskinesia, a syndrome characterized by an irregular respiratory rate, tachypnea, and grunting, is a serious complication of chronic neuroleptic therapy. It frequently occurs in elderly women and is commonly associated with clinical features of Tardive dyskinesia (TD). Respiratory dyskinesia initially was considered to be a rare complication of chronic neuroleptic treatment, but more recent reports indicate that respiratory abnormalities are common in patients treated with antipsychotic medications. The appropriate management of patients with respiratory dyskinesia has not been determined as the underlying pathophysiology is incompletely understood. We present a schizophrenic patient on long term antipsychotic therapy who presented with respiratory dyskinesia associated with symptoms of TD and tardive Tourette's syndrome which emerged coincident with an abrupt withdrawal of neuroleptic therapy. In this patient, external application of picoTesla range magnetic fields (MF) produced rapid attenuation in the severity of respiratory and motor dyskinesias. As the pineal gland is considered a magnetosensor and since exposure of experimental animals and humans to external MF alters melatonin secretion, we then propose that the beneficial effects of MF involve the mediation of the pineal gland which has been implicated previously in the pathophysiology of drug-induced movement disorders including TD.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Magnetic fields normalize visual evoked potentials and brainstem auditory evoked potentials in multiple sclerosis.

The present communication concerns a 46 year old woman with a 10 year history of chronic progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) in whom external application of magnetic fields (MF) (7.5 picoTesla; 5 Hz) during a period of remission resulted in a rapid and dramatic improvement in symptoms including vision, cerebellar symptomatology (ataxia and dysarthria), mood, sleep, bowel and bladder functions as well as fatigue. Improvement in the patient's symptoms was associated with normalization of the pretreatment latencies of the visual evoked potentials and brainstem auditory evoked potential responses within a week after initiation of magnetic treatment. This report demonstrates that treatment with picoTesla MF is an effective, nonpharmacological modality in the management of MS and for the first time documents reversal of abnormal evoked potential responses by this treatment. The pineal gland is a magnetosensor. As MF affect the release of the pineal gland's principal hormone, melatonin, it is hypothesized that the effects of picoTesla MF in MS are partly mediated by the pineal gland which has recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of MS (Sandyk, 1992 a; b).

Electromagnetic Fields↗
PubMed1993

The effects of external picoTesla range magnetic fields on the EEG in Parkinson's disease.

We report a 68 year old man with a 7 year history of Parkinson's disease (PD) who obtained little benefit from treatment by dopaminergic and anticholinergic agents. During the six months prior to presentation, he experienced more rapid deterioration in symptoms including memory functions, increasing depression, and dystonia of the foot. External application of picoTesla range magnetic fields (MF) resulted in rapid attenuation of tremor and foot dystonia with improvements in gait, postural reflexes, mood, anxiety, cognitive, and autonomic functions. Plasma prolactin and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels rose three days after initiation of treatment. In addition, distinct electroencephalographic (EEG) changes were recorded nine days after two treatments with MF and included enhancement of alpha and beta activities as well as resolution of the theta activity. These findings demonstrate, for the first time, objective EEG changes in response to picoTesla range MF in PD. Since the pineal gland is a magnetosensor and as some of the clinical effects produced by MF such as relaxation, sleepiness, mood elevation, increased dreaming, and enhancement of alpha and beta activities in the EEG have also been noted in healthy subjects administered melatonin, we propose that the clinical effects as well as the EEG changes noted after treatment with MF were mediated by the pineal gland which previously has been implicated in the pathophysiology of PD.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Magnetic fields in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Levodopa-induced dyskinesias are a common complication of chronic dopaminergic therapy in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The overall prevalence of levodopa-induced dyskinesias ranges from 40%-90% and is related to the underlying disease process, pharmacologic factors, and to the duration of high dose levodopa therapy. The mechanisms underlying the emergence of levodopa-induced dyskinesias are unknown, although most investigators favor the theory that striatal dopamine receptor supersensitivity is directly responsible for the development of these abnormal movements. In laboratory animals, the pineal hormone melatonin has been shown to regulate striatal dopaminergic activity and block levodopa-induced dyskinesias (Cotzias et al., 1971). Since the pineal gland is known to be a magnetosensitive organ and as application of external magnetic fields has been shown to alter melatonin secretion, we studied the effects of application of external artificial weak magnetic fields in a Parkinsonian patient with severe levodopa-induced dyskinesias ("on-off"). Application of weak magnetic fields with a frequency of 2 Hz and intensity of 7.5 picotesla (pT) for a 6 minute period resulted in a rapid and dramatic attenuation of Parkinsonian disability and an almost complete resolution of the dyskinesias. This effect persisted for about 72 hours after which the patient regressed to his pretreatment state. To ascertain if the responses elicited in the laboratory were reproducible, the patient was instructed to apply magnetic fields of the same characteristics daily at home. These subsequent treatments paralleled the initial response with a sustained improvement being maintained during an observation period lasting at least one month. This case demonstrates the efficacy of weak magnetic fields in the treatment of Parkinsonism and motor complications of chronic levodopa therapy.

Combined Modality Therapy↗
PubMed1991

Magnetic stimulation in the treatment of partial seizures.

We have recently demonstrated that Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) brain measurements in patients with seizure disorders show significant MEG activity often in the absence of conventional EEG abnormalities. We localized foci of seizure activity using the mapping technique characterized by the ISO-Spectral Amplitude (ISO-SA) on the scalp distribution of specified spectral components or frequency bands of the emitted MEG Fourier power spectrum. In addition, using an electronic device, we utilized the above recorded activity to emit back the same intensity and frequency of magnetic field to the presumed epileptic foci. Using this method we were able, over the past two years, successfully to attenuate seizure activity in a cohort of over 100 patients with various forms of epilepsy. We now present in more detail three randomly selected patients with partial seizures in whom application of an external artificial magnetic field of low intensity produced a substantial attenuation of seizure frequency during an observation period extending from 10 to 14 months. All patients had previously obtained only partial response to conventional anticonvulsant therapy. Attenuation in seizure frequency was associated with normalization of the MEG activity. These cases demonstrate that artificial magnetic treatment may be a valuable adjunctive procedure in the management of partial seizures. The possible mechanisms underlying the anticonvulsant properties of magnetic stimulation at both cellular and systemic levels are discussed. Specifically, since the pineal gland has been shown to be a magnetosensitive organ which forms part of a combined compass-solar clock system, and since it exerts an inhibitory action on seizure activity in both experimental animals and humans, we discuss the potential pivotal role of the pineal gland in the long term anticonvulsant effects of external artificial magnetic stimulation.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Magnetic fields mimic the behavioral effects of REM sleep deprivation in humans.

The discovery of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep by Aserinsky and Kleitman in 1953 initiated the impetus for sleep research and specifically the investigations of the effects of REM sleep deprivation (RSD) on animal and human behavior. The behavioral effects of RSD include the enhancement of motivational and "drive"-related behaviors. In laboratory animals, RSD has been reported to increase appetite, sexual behavior, aggressiveness, and locomotor activity. Moreover, RSD reportedly improves mood in patients with endogenous depression and heightens appetite and sexual interest in normal subjects. Since "drive"-related behaviors are thought to involve activation of limbic dopaminergic reward sites, RSD may enhance motivational behaviors through an action on limbic dopaminergic functions. In the present communication, we present two patients (one with multiple sclerosis and the other with Parkinson's disease) in whom treatment with magnetic fields produced behavioral effects which paralleled those observed in REM-sleep-deprived animals and humans. We propose, therefore, that the behavioral and mental effects of treatment with magnetic fields may be mediated via RSD and, by inference, involve activation of limbic dopaminergic reward sites.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Further observations on the unique efficacy of picoTesla range magnetic fields in Parkinson's disease.

External application of picoTesla range magnetic fields (MF) has been reported recently to be efficacious in the treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) including those who manifest levodopa-related dyskinesias. In the present communication, we present four additional Parkinsonian patients who showed, within a brief period of time, marked improvement in motor symptoms after therapy with MF. Three of the patients had been maintained on antiParkinsonian medication during treatment with MF while the fourth patient had never received pharmacotherapy. 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. Poverty of facial expression (hypomimia, "masked facies"), which correlates with the degree of striatal dopaminergic deficiency, is one of the clinical hallmarks of PD reflecting the severity of hypokinesia and rigidity in the orofacial musculature. In this report, we emphasize the effects of MF on the hypomimia of PD and provide visual documentation illustrating the changes in the patients' facial expression which follow treatment with MF.

Aged↗