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Biomedical subjects

R Sandyk

Publications and source records attributed to R Sandyk.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Premenstrual exacerbation of symptoms in multiple sclerosis is attenuated by treatment with weak electromagnetic fields.

It has been suspected that hormonal factors contribute to the etiology and pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). A direct relationship between MS and endocrine functions is suggested by changes in disease activity during the phases of the menstrual cycle. A subset of women with MS experience premenstrual worsening of symptoms which improve dramatically with the onset of menstruation. The biological mechanisms underlying these changes in disease activity are unexplained but may be related to cyclical fluctuations in gonadal sex steroid hormones, abrupt changes in the activity of the endogenous opioid peptides and fluctuations in plasma melatonin levels which affect neuronal excitability and immune functions. Extracerebral application of weak electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the picotesla range intensity has been reported efficacious in the treatment of MS with patients experiencing sustained improvement in motor, sensory, autonomic, affective and cognitive functions. The present report concerns two women with chronic progressive stage MS who experienced, coincident with increasing functional disability, regular worsening of their symptoms beginning about a week before menstruation and abating with the onset of menstruation. These symptoms resolved two months after the initiation of treatment with EMFs. The report supports the association between the endocrine system and MS and indicates that brief, extracranial applications of these magnetic fields modifies the activity of neuroendocrine systems which precipitate worsening of MS symptoms premenstrually.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Weak electromagnetic fields restore dream recall in patients with multiple sclerosis.

It is now well established that dreaming is a phenomenon associated with REM sleep and that we dream far more than we can recall. Loss of dream recall has been reported in association with cerebral lesions of different sites with predilection to the posterior cerebral hemispheres. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disorder characterised by the presence of diffuse pathological lesions affecting cortical, subcortical, and brainstem areas which are implicated in the generation and maintenance of REM sleep as well as dream recall. Although MS is associated with a high incidence of sleep disturbances, little is known about the frequency of dreaming and particularly dream recall in these patients and their association with such features as the course of the disease, extent of neurological deficits, rate of progression, sites of demyelinating plaques on MRI scan, and recovery. In my experience morning dream recall and probably dreaming activity become infrequent with the onset and/or during periods of exacerbation of the disease. The present communication concerns four selected MS patients who experienced alterations in dream content and loss of morning dream recall during the course of the disease. In all patients dream recall was restored, along with improvement in neurological symptoms, following the external application of a series of treatments with weak electromagnetic fields (EMFs). These findings suggest that in MS morning dream recall may decline and cease to occur during the course of the disease. Recurrence of dream recall may be a marker of clinical recovery which can be used to assess neurologic improvement in patients undergoing treatment with experimental treatment modalities.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Chronic relapsing multiple sclerosis: a case of rapid recovery by application of weak electromagnetic fields.

A 54 year-old woman was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1985 at the age of 45 after she developed diplopia, slurred speech, and weakness in the right leg. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan obtained in 1985 showed several areas of plaque formation distributed in the periventricular white matter and centrum semiovale bilaterally. Coincident with slow deterioration in her condition since 1990 a second MRI scan was obtained in 1991 which showed a considerable increase in the number and size of plaques throughout both cerebral hemispheres, subcortical white matter, periventricularly and brainstem. In 1994, the patient received treatment with Interferon beta- 1b (Betaseron) for 6 months with no improvement in symptoms. However, following two successive extracranial applications of pulsed electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the picotesla (pT) range each of 20 minutes duration the patient experienced an immediate improvement in symptoms most dramatically in gait, balance, speech, level of energy, swallowing, mood, and vision. On a maintenance program of 3 treatments per month the patient's only symptom is mild right foot and leg weakness. The report points to the unique efficacy of externally applied pT range EMFs in the symptomatic treatment of MS, indicates a lack of an association between the extent of demyelinating plaques on MRI scan and rate and extent of recovery in response to EMFs, and supports the notion that dysfunction of synaptic conductivity due to neurotransmitter deficiency particularly of serotonin (5-HT) contributes more significantly to the development of MS symptoms than the process of demyelination which clinically seems to represent an epiphenomenon of the disease.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1995

Reversal of visuospatial deficit on the Clock Drawing Test in Parkinson's disease by treatment with weak electromagnetic fields.

Visuospatial deficits are among the most frequently encountered abnormalities in neuropsychological testing of patients with Parkinson's disease, being present in up to 90% of cases. Clinically, impairment of visuospatial functions may not be noted by Parkinsonian patients but may contribute to various functional disabilities including frequent falls, difficulties operating a vehicle, ambulating, and dressing. I have reported recently that treatment with external electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the picotesla (pT) range intensity is an effective nonpharmacological modality in the management of the motor and various cognitive deficits of Parkinsonism including visuoperceptive and visuospatial functions. The present communication concerns four fully medicated Parkinsonian patients who, in response to treatment with EMFs, exhibited reversal of visuospatial impairments as demonstrated on the Clock Drawing Test. Specifically, prior to treatment with EMFs these patients demonstrated a visuospatial deficit which was evident by the placement of the numbers on the clock distant from the periphery. Following a series of treatments with EMFs this visuospatial deficit was corrected. The report supports prior observations demonstrating that externally applied pT range intensity EMFs may bring about reversal of visuospatial deficits in Parkinsonian patients which usually are not improved by treatment with dopaminergic or anticholinergic drugs.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Improvement of body image perception in Parkinson's disease by treatment with weak electromagnetic fields.

Neuropsychological studies have demonstrated that Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with various cognitive deficits ultimately leading in about 30% of patients to the development of dementia. These studies have demonstrated also a greater decrement of right hemispheric functions which are manifested by visuospatial deficits occurring in up to 90% of PD patients. The Human Figure Drawing Test has been employed in the assessment of generalized intellectual deterioration and specifically in the evaluation of visuperceptive, visuospatial and visuoconstructional abilities in brain injured patients. I have demonstrated recently, on the basis of various drawing tests, that external application of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the picotesla (pT) range intensity improved visuoperceptive and visuospatial functions in Parkinsonian patients. In the present communication I present 4 fully medicated nondemented Parkinsonian patients who were administered the Human Figure Drawing Test before and after a series of treatments with EMFs. The Human Figure Drawing Test was selected for the study specifically since it was shown to be sensitive to the effects of surgery to the basal ganglia in Parkinsonian patients. Prior to application of EMFs these patients' drawings showed distortion, poor perspective, impoverished facial expression, and lack of attention to details suggested poor body image perception related to right posterior hemispheric dysfunction. In response to the administration of EMFs the group demonstrated a striking improvement in the drawings particularly the depiction of the face the perception of which is localized to the right parietal lobe. These findings demonstrate that treatment with pT EMFs improves body image perception in Parkinsonian patients, a deficit which may remain unaffected by treatment with standard dopaminergic pharmacotherapy.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Weak electromagnetic fields improve body image perception in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Neuropsychological studies have demonstrated that multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with various cognitive deficits and it has been suggested that it be considered a form of subcortical dementia. It is now recognized that visuoperceptive and visuomotor deficits commonly occur in MS patients particularly in those with chronic progressive course of the disease. The Human Figure Drawing Test has been employed in the assessment of generalized intellectual deterioration and specifically in the evaluation of visuoperceptive, visuospatial and visuoconstructional abilities in brain injured patients. I have demonstrated recently, on the basis of various drawing test, the external application of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the picotesla (pT) range intensity improved visuoperceptive and visuospatial functions in patients with MS. In the present communication I present five MS patients who were administered the Human Figure Drawing Test before and after a series of treatments with EMFs. Prior to application of EMFs four of these patients' drawings showed distortions, poor perspectives, impoverished facial expression, and lack of attention to details suggesting poor body image perception related to right posterior hemispheric dysfunction. In response to the administration of EMFs the group demonstrated improvement in motor disability which was associated with a striking improvement in the drawing particularly the drawings of the face the perception of which is localized to the right parietal lobe. These findings demonstrate that treatment with pT EMFs improves body image perception in MS patients thus corroborating previous observations which demonstrated this treatment modality to exert beneficial effects on cognitive functions in patients with MS.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Improvement of right hemispheric functions in a child with Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome by weak electromagnetic fields.

Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome (GTS) is a chronic, familial neuropsychiatric disorder of unknown etiology characterized clinically by the occurrence of motor and vocal tics and by the presence of a variety of neurobehavioral and neurocognitive abnormalities including hyperactivity, self-multilatory behavior, obsessive-compulsive behavior, learning disabilities, and conduct disorder. On the basis of neuropsychological assessments it has been suggested that GTS is associated with greater right than left hemispheric dysfunction which accounts for decrements in visuospatial, visuoconstructional and visuomotor skills in these patients. Recent case studies have demonstrated that extracranial application of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the picotesla (pT) range intensity improves visuospatial and visuoperceptive functions in patients with neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. I now present a 6 1/2 year old boy with GTS in whom this treatment modality produced, in addition to symptomatic behavioral improvement, also improvement in visuoconstructional and visuomotor skills as evidenced on various drawing tasks particularly copy of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure, a task which is especially vulnerable to right hemispheric functions. These findings suggest that pT range EMFs may be useful for the treatment of GTS and related disorders and also reverse some of the cognitive impairments associated with the disease which are related to right hemispheric dysfunction and which contribute to learning disabilities in these patients.

Brain↗
PubMed1995

Resolution of Lhermitte's sign in multiple sclerosis by treatment with weak electromagnetic fields.

Lhermitte's sign, the occurrence of an electrical sensation passing down the back to the legs on flexion of the neck is a common and characteristic feature of multiple sclerosis (MS) which is related to spinal cord lesions affecting the posterior columns and cervical nerve roots. The Lhermitte's sign, which has been reported to occur at some time in up to 25% of MS patients, is seldom painful but is often a cause of distress to the patient and usually a marker of increased disease activity. Treatment with extracranial picotesla range pulsed electromagnetic fields (EMFs) has been found efficacious in the management of various MS symptoms including pain syndromes. The present communication concerns three MS patients in whom two brief applications of EMFs resulted in resolution of the Lhermitte's sign which emerged during a period of exacerbation of symptoms in one patient and during a prolonged phase of symptom deterioration in the other two patients. As the cause of the Lhermitte's sign is thought to result from the spread of ectopic excitation in demyelinated plaques in the cervical and thoracic regions of the spinal cord, it is hypothesized that the effects of EMFs are related to the reduction of axonal excitability via a mechanism involving changes in ionic membrane permeability. A systemic effect on pain control systems is also postulated to occur secondary to the effects of EMFs on neurotransmitter activity and pineal melatonin functions. This report underscores the efficacy of picotesla EMFs in the management of paroxysmal pain symptoms in MS.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Weak electromagnetic fields reverse visuospatial hemi-inattention in Parkinson's disease.

Drawing tasks, both free and copied, have achieved a central position in neuropsychological testing of patients with unilateral cerebral dysfunction by virtue of their sensitivity to different kinds of organic brain disorders and their ability to provide information on lateralized brain damage. In the drawings of patients with right hemispheric damage, visuospatial neglect is revealed by the omission of details on the side of the drawing contralateral to the hemispheric lesion. Patients with unilateral cerebral damage, particularly those with left hemispheric damage, also demonstrate a tendency to place their drawings on the side of the page ipsilateral to the cerebral lesion, a phenomenon which has been termed visuospatial hemi-inattention. It has been reported previously that brief external application of alternating pulsed electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the picotesla (pT) range intensity improved visuoperceptive and visuospatial functions and reversed neglect in Parkinsonian patients. The present communication concerns four fully medicated elderly nondemented Parkinsonian patients (mean age: 74.7 +/- 4.6 yrs; mean duration of illness: 7.7 +/- 5.2 yrs) in whom application of these EMFs produced reversal of visuospatial hemi-inattention related to left hemispheric dysfunction. These findings support prior observations demonstrating that pT EMFs may bring about reversal of certain cognitive deficits in Parkinsonian patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Improvement in short-term visual memory by weak electromagnetic fields in Parkinson's disease.

Neuropsychological studies have demonstrated that Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with various cognitive deficits ultimately leading in about 30% of patients to the development of dementia. These studies have demonstrated also a greater decrement of right hemispheric functions with visuospatial deficits occurring in up to 90% of PD patients. The Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) Test has been employed in the assessment of right hemispheric functions and particularly for the evaluation of visuoconstructive abilities and short-term visual memory. I have demonstrated recently that external application of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the picotesla (pT) range intensity is an effective nonpharmacological modality in the management of the motor and cognitive deficits of Parkinsonism. In the present communication I present 3 fully medicated nondemented PD patients (mean age: 68 +/- 8.1 yrs; mean duration of illness: 9.0 +/- 4.0 yrs; mean disability on the Hoehn and Yahr scale: 3) who were tested on the ROCF Test before and after a series of treatments with EMFs. In response to the administration of EMFs the group demonstrated a mean of 23.1 +/- 13.6% improved performance on copy of the ROCF and a 39.3 +/- 13.4% improvement of short-term recall of the ROCF. These findings demonstrate that treatment with pT EMFs improves deficits in visuospatial functions and visual memory in Parkinsonism which usually remain unaffected during standard treatment with dopaminergic pharmacotherapy.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Parkinsonian micrographia reversed by treatment with weak electromagnetic fields.

Micrographia is one of the characteristic clinical signs of Parkinson's disease (PD) which is linked to striatal dopaminergic deficiency. It has been reported recently that external application of weak electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in the picotesla (pT) range and of low frequency produced dramatic improvements in motor symptoms in Parkinsonian patients indicating that a specific range of electromagnetic energy increases, among others, striatal dopaminergic neurotransmission. In the present communication, I present two fully mediated Parkinsonian patients who, prior to the application of EMFs, drew lilliputian sized figures reflecting the micrographia of the disease. In both patients a series of treatments with pT EMFs produced, in addition to improvement in motor symptoms, a dramatic increase in the size of their drawings with reversal of their micrographia. Since both patients were maintained on dopaminergic medications prior to and during treatment with EMFs it is suggested that Parkinsonian micrographia is related also to abnormalities of nondopaminergic systems which are affected by weak EMFs. This report corroborates previous observations demonstrating the powerful antiParkinsonian effect of pT range EMFs and highlights the unique efficacy of this treatment modality in Parkinsonism.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Cholinergic mechanisms in Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome.

Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS), a chronic, familial, neuropsychiatric disorder of unknown etiology, is characterized clinically by the presence of motor and vocal tics that wax and wane in severity over time and by the occurrence of a variety of neurobehavioral disturbances including hyperactivity, self-mutilatory behavior, obsessive compulsive behavior, learning disabilities, and conduct disorder. Pharmacological studies suggest that the tics of GTS result from dysfunction of monoaminergic systems, more specifically from increased dopaminergic activity due to postsynaptic dopamine receptor supersensitivity. However, given that striatal dopaminergic and cholinergic systems exhibit reciprocal antagonism in other movement disorders such as Parkinsonism and chorea, it is conceivable that the cholinergic system is implicated in the disease. In the present communication it is proposed that: (a) the emergence of motor and vocal tics in GTS is associated with increased central cholinergic activity; (b) cholinergic overactivity is involved in the manifestation of other symptoms in GTS including depression, sleep disorders, motion sickness, pain, sensory tics, and the waxing and waning course of the disease; (c) abnormalities of the cholinergic system support previous evidence linking GTS with delayed cerebral maturation in a subset of young patients; and (d) drugs which stimulate cholinergic receptors may exacerbate symptoms of GTS, and as with dopamine agonists, should be avoided in patients with GTS.

Depressive Disorder↗
PubMed1994

The relationship of pineal calcification to cerebral atrophy on CT scan in multiple sclerosis.

Calcification is a known morphological feature of the pineal gland. The mechanisms underlying the development of pineal calcification (PC) are elusive although there is experimental evidence that calcification may be a marker of the past secretory activity of the gland and/or of degeneration. The increased incidence of PC with aging suggests that it may reflect cerebral degenerative changes as well. In a recent Editorial in this Journal it was proposed that the pineal gland is implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Cerebral atrophy, which can be demonstrated on CT scan, is a common feature of MS resulting from demyelination and gliosis. If PC is a marker of a cerebral degenerative process, then one would expect a higher incidence of calcification of the gland in patients with cerebral atrophy compared to those without cerebral atrophy. To test this hypothesis, we studied the incidence of PC on CT scan in a cohort of 48 MS patients, 21 of whom had cerebral atrophy. For the purpose of comparison, we also assessed the incidence of choroid plexus calcification (CPC) in relation to cerebral atrophy. PC was found in 42 patients (87.5%) and its incidence in patients with cerebral atrophy was significantly higher compared to the incidence in patients without cerebral atrophy (100% vs. 77.7%; p < .025). In contrast, CPC was unrelated to cerebral atrophy or to PC thus supporting the notion of a specific association between the pineal gland and the pathogenesis of MS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The relationship between melatonin secretion and serum cholesterol in patients with multiple sclerosis.

We have reported recently that nocturnal melatonin levels are reduced in a subgroup of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). We have also noted in these patients a high incidence of hypercholesterolemia and propose that this may be linked to dysfunction of the pineal gland since pinealectomy in rats was reported to be associated with elevation of blood cholesterol levels. To test this hypothesis, we studied the relationship between nocturnal plasma melatonin levels and serum cholesterol levels in a cohort of 24 MS patients (4 men; 20 women; mean age: 40.2 years SD = 9.5) who were admitted to an inpatient neurologic clinic for acute exacerbation of symptoms. For the purpose of comparison we also evaluated in these patients the association between melatonin levels and serum triglyceride (TG) levels. As predicted, we found a significantly higher serum cholesterol level in 10 patients who had low nocturnal plasma melatonin levels (mean: 17.1 pg/ml +/- 5.9) compared to 14 patients in whom melatonin levels were in the normal range (mean: 42.9 pg/ml +/- 10.6) (mean cholesterol = 241.5 mg/dl +/- 50.8 vs. 183.7 mg/dl +/- 27.2; p < .001). In contrast, serum TG levels did not differ significantly between the groups. As serum cholesterol levels were statistically unrelated to TG levels, these findings suggest a specific association between pineal melatonin and cholesterol metabolism. If confirmed in future research, these findings suggest that the pineal gland may exert a cholesterol reducing effect and that melatonin could be used therapeutically in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Alzheimer's disease: improvement of visual memory and visuoconstructive performance by treatment with picotesla range magnetic fields.

Impairments in visual memory and visuoconstructive functions commonly occur in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recently, I reported that external application of electromagnetic fields (EMF) of extremely low intensity (in the picotesla range) and of low frequency (in the range of 5Hz-8Hz) improved visual memory and visuoperceptive functions in patients with Parkinson's disease. Since a subgroup of Parkinsonian patients, specifically those with dementia, have coexisting pathological and clinical features of AD, I investigated in two AD patients the effects of these extremely weak EMF on visual memory and visuoconstructive performance. The Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test as well as sequential drawings from memory of a house, a bicycle, and a man were employed to evaluate the effects of EMF on visual memory and visuoconstructive functions, respectively. In both patients treatment with EMF resulted in a dramatic improvement in visual memory and enhancement of visuoconstructive performance which was associated clinically with improvement in other cognitive functions such as short term memory, calculations, spatial orientation, judgement and reasoning as well as level of energy, social interactions, and mood. The report demonstrates, for the first time, that specific cognitive symptoms of AD are improved by treatment with EMF of a specific intensity and frequency. The rapid improvement in cognitive functions in response to EMF suggests that some of the mental deficits of AD are reversible being caused by a functional (i.e., synaptic transmission) rather than a structural (i.e., neuritic plaques) disruption of neuronal communication in the central nervous system.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

The co-occurrence of multiple sclerosis and migraine headache: the serotoninergic link.

The occurrence of migraine headaches in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been recognized for quite some time but the significance of this association to the pathogenesis of MS largely has been ignored. Several reports have documented that migraine headaches may occur during exacerbation of symptoms and may even herald the onset of relapse in MS. We present three MS patients in whom migraine headaches developed during a period of relapse. As migraine has been linked to changes in serotonin (5-HT) functions, the emergence of migraine headaches coincident with the onset of relapse implicates dysregulation of the 5-HT system in the pathophysiology of MS. This hypothesis is plausible considering the evidence that MS patients are serotonergically depleted and that 5-HT is involved in maintaining the integrity of the blood brain barrier, disruption of which is believed to occur in the initial stages of exacerbation of MS symptoms. Furthermore, this hypothesis may have potential therapeutic implications in the treatment of exacerbations of MS and possibly in the prevention of relapse in the disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Improvement in word-fluency performance in Parkinson's disease by administration of electromagnetic fields.

The association between degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) system and the motor manifestations of Parkinson's disease (PD) provided the impetus for the development of DA replacement therapy. However, clinical experience has demonstrated that DA-ergic drugs, while attenuating the motor symptoms of PD, have little or no consistent effect on the mental and cognitive symptoms of the disease which are thought to be related partly to degeneration of the meso-cortico-limbic DA system. Thus, failure of DA-ergic drugs to improve the mental and cognitive deficits of PD indicates that these agents cannot fully restore DA functions in the meso-cortico-limbic circuits. The present communication concerns five fully medicated Parkinsonian patients in whom application of a series of treatments with electromagnetic fields (EMF) of extremely low intensity (in the picotesla range) and frequency (5-8Hz) produced a dramatic improvement in performance on Thurstone's World-Fluency Test, a sensitive marker of frontal lobe functions. These findings suggest that in contrast to DA replacement therapy application of low intensity EMF may improve frontal lobe functions in patients with PD presumably by augmenting DA activity in the mesocortical system. As deficiency of the frontal DA system has been implicated also in the development of akinesia and freezing in PD these observations may explain the beneficial effects of EMF on the motor manifestations of the disease.

Aged↗