TranscranialMagneticStimulation
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Magnetic fields shut down speech, permit love songs (video)
You already know the strange powers of Stephin Merritt, but today we're talking about real magnetic fields. Powerful electromagnets, it turns out, can do remarkable things to the brain -- in this case, prevent a volunteer from reciting "Humpty Dumpty." The carefully directed magnets temporarily disrupt the brain's speech centers; the volunteer can still sing the rhyme using different areas of the brain, but simply can't overcome a series of stammers when trying to merely recite it. Of course, it's not all mad scientist applications: the UK team experimenting with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) thinks it can help us understand and treat migraines (as we've seen before with the Migraine Zapper), depression, and ADHD, among other ailments. But improving physical well-being doesn't make for nearly as entertaining media -- see the British inflict some involuntary quiet time in the video above.
Magnetic brain stimulator touted as treatment for depression
Taking in the good times at the annual American Psychiatric Association meeting, Wired caught wind of a new type of device that psychiatrists think will be effective in treating tough cases of depression. The devices employ a technique known as transcranial magnetic stimulation, which sends an electromagnetic pulse two to three centimeters into the brain, stimulating prefrontal cortex and paralimbic blood flow, which in turn increases the serotonin output as well as the dopamine and norepinephrine functions. Previously, that technique required patients to go under anesthesia, but these new devices will apparently make it possible for the procedure to be done right in the psychiatrist's office, with the patient able to go home immediately afterward. According to Wired, some ten companies are already planning to manufacture the devices, which will apparently come in a variety of forms including a handheld unit (seen above) and a "cap" resembling a beauty-parlor hair dryer. In addition to depression, the devices have apparently also shown some promise in treating migraines, although that's reportedly still being tested.
