Application of weak electromagnetic fields facilitates sensory-motor integration in patients with multiple sclerosis

Electrophysiological studies in behaving animals have shown the function of cerebral serotonin (5-HT) neurons to be altered in association with motor output in both the tonic and repetitive modes and also in relation to an orienting response. Brainstem 5-HT neurons increase their firing rate two to five-fold during repetitive motor activity to facilitate motor output while simultaneously suppressing transmission in sensory pathways. Reciprocally, during an orienting response motor activity is suppressed and 5-HT neuronal activity is inhibited to facilitate transmission of sensory information. These reciprocal changes in 5-HT neuronal activity serve to facilitate brainstem reticular sensory-motor integration which, due to 5-HT neurotransmission deficiency, may be disrupted in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). For instance, MS patients are unable to process auditory information in the presence of competing ambient stimuli, while under a controlled laboratory environment they demonstrate unimpaired verbal information processing. This report concerns three MS patients who experienced rapid deterioration in balance resulting in falling when subjected, during ambulation, to distracting external auditory stimuli. After receiving a series of treatments with low frequency picotesla range intensity electromagnetic fields (EMFs), which were applied extracranially for brief periods, these patients experienced resolution of these symptoms with ambulation being unaffected by auditory stimuli. It is suggested that application of picotesla EMFs may restore abnormal reticular sensory-motor integration in MS patients with the effect being related to facilitation of 5-HT neurotransmission at both junctional (synaptic) and nonjunctional neuronal target sites.