Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive technique that uses magnetic fields to stimulate neurons in the brain. It has shown promise in treating cognitive disorders and has potential applications in brain research. TMS has been successful in treating depression and migraines and has been used to induce phosphenes and enhance artistic ability. However, the technology is expensive, with most systems costing between $25,000 and $100,000 USD.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a relatively recent technique both for treating cognitive disorders such as depression or auditory hallucinations, and for brain research. It works by using an inductive magnetic field, similar to a metal detector but significantly more powerful, to electrically excite neurons.
The first successful TMS study was conducted in 1985, making the field relatively recent within medical science. It looks promising as an alternative to the much more invasive electroconvulsive therapy. It is capable of being aimed with an accuracy of several millimeters and is designed only to research the very surface of the brain: the cortex. Since many cognitive functions are located in the cortex, however, this is not a serious limitation.
Research is ongoing and the scientific community has high hopes for TMS, with preliminary experiments even suggesting it could one day be used to build a machine that rapidly induces REM sleep, giving the restorative equivalent of a full night’s sleep in just two or three hours. Double-blind studies have also shown it to be effective in treating depression and migraines.
As of May 2007, over 3,000 studies of TMS have been published, with positive therapeutic results ranging from treatments for PTSD to tinnitus (a persistent ringing in the ears). Applications of this therapy to the visual cortex can produce phosphenes on demand. Phosphenes are the tiny specks of colored light you see when you rub your eyes.
There are two main types of TMS: single or paired pulses and repetitive TMS (rTMS). RTMS involves multiple sessions over days or weeks and is distinct in that it can induce long-term changes in the brain. Single-pulse TMS only works during magnetic field application, limiting its use for therapy but providing an intriguing research tool. Selective TMS applications have been found to temporarily enhance artistic ability in some patients, similar to cases involving autistic-savants. As such, this technique is sometimes marketed as a “savant on demand” technology and may have applications in enhancing intelligence, although much more careful research is needed to investigate this.
One major limitation of wider dissemination and further research involving TMS is that the technology is relatively expensive. Numerous banks of capacitors are required to store and release the energy needed to effectively apply the tool. Most systems cost between $25,000 and $100,000 USD, although there are “open TMS” projects that work to build systems for less than $1,000 USD, within the budget of the hobbyist or independent experimenter.
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