Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Tuesday 8th May, 2007 09:38 Comments: 0
Scientists have found a way to turn on deep sleep at will using a machine that magnetically stimulates the brain. Scientists in the US used a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to induce slow waves - indicative of the deepest phase of sleep and essential for learning ability and mood, in a group of sleeping volunteers. A TMS device sends harmless magnetic signals through the scalp and skull and into the brain, where it activates electrical impulses.
Are these the same sort of harmless magnetic signals that certain people think are responsible for things like cancer? The same sort of waves that are generated by mobile phones? During slow wave sleep, waves of electrical impulses wash across the brain at a rate of roughly one a second, which is a tiny fraction of the frequency used by mobile phones, and I suspect the close proximity means it's far less powerful than a mobile's transmitter. But it still sounds a bit scary to mess around with nature like that.
The research appeared in an early edition of the American journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Creating slow waves on demand could some day lead to treatments for insomnia," said study leader Prof Giulio Tononi, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It'd be nice if it does, and if they can prove it's safe. As someone that often finds it difficult to fall asleep, I'd be interested in the benefits, but I'm still not sure I'd trust it.
Are these the same sort of harmless magnetic signals that certain people think are responsible for things like cancer? The same sort of waves that are generated by mobile phones? During slow wave sleep, waves of electrical impulses wash across the brain at a rate of roughly one a second, which is a tiny fraction of the frequency used by mobile phones, and I suspect the close proximity means it's far less powerful than a mobile's transmitter. But it still sounds a bit scary to mess around with nature like that.
The research appeared in an early edition of the American journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Creating slow waves on demand could some day lead to treatments for insomnia," said study leader Prof Giulio Tononi, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It'd be nice if it does, and if they can prove it's safe. As someone that often finds it difficult to fall asleep, I'd be interested in the benefits, but I'm still not sure I'd trust it.