theNoosphere.com

Now, before you begin wondering if I've gone off my science-loving rocker and wandered off into the forbidden land of Woo and make-believe, I didn't write the damned headline-the folks at the Institute of Physics website did. Sheesh!

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is an imaging technique used to measure the magnetic fields produced by electrical activity in the brain via extremely sensitive devices such as superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). These measurements are commonly used in both research and clinical settings. There are many uses for the MEG, including assisting surgeons in localizing a pathology, assisting researchers in determining the function of various parts of the brain, neurofeedback, and others.(taken from Wikipedia article-Wikipedia, in spite of it's many questions does do very well in the sciences because the articles are almost exclusively written by and reviewed by scientists just like in scientific journals. Cool)

The researchers from the Minneapolis Veteran Affairs Medical Center and the University of Minnesota, tested 74 veterans complaining of symptoms indicative of PTSD and the magnetoencephalographic technique diagnosed with 90% accuracy. This diagnostic tool could be a major advancement in diagnosing this disorder using measurable physical processes as opposed to a qualitative assessment based on interpreted psychological responses.

It would also, much to my delight, slam the door on those closed-minded folks who claim that it doesn't exist because they are so eager to assign the cause to a "character deficiency" or other such nonsense.

Here's the link.Post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosed with magnetism

Okay...wishing that when I respond I could look up and see your post....that and no indenting....LOL....."JM, live here awhile before you start causing trouble." Opened a new tab....problem solved. You see, I needed to refer to your post because of all the scientific words I'd hate to misspell.


Magnetoencephalography...fascinating. One of my best friends, from childhood, is making headway in being a long term brain tumor survivor. Brain stuff is important to me. That, coupled with working with students with all kinds of diagnoses that are often more subjective than objective, increase my curiosity. ADD, for example, is usually dignosed by checklists filled out by significant adults in the child's life. Not very scientific to me, although I am not discounting its existence..I just wish it were more objectively measured and therefore combatted more scientifically in terms of medication. I believe the existence of ADD would also fall into the "closed-minded folks who claim that it doesn't exist because they are so eager to assign the cause to a "character deficiency" or other such nonsense."

Question: Have you looked much into the whole magnet wristband thing? What is it exactly about magnets? Considering the damage they do to computers if accidentally stuck to the side of the tower, for say, decoration (not that I almost did that or anything), I'd be interested in even wearing a magnetic wristband if it made me smarter or healthier.

One very useful feature here is the little "Quote" button located at the bottom right of each post-I'm using it now-which displays the post to which I'm replying in the box where I'm composing my reply. It has proven easier usually than opening a separate tab to keep the post handy for reference.

You've hit one of my "major interest" hot-buttons with this. Some of the areas I've been following for some time now are neuroscience, cogniitive psychology, developmental biology, and the interplay of cognitive(intellectual) and affective(emotional) areas of the brain-basically the study of how. what, and why we think as we do and how they interact.

You will no doubt discover that I am a sworn enemy of pseudo-science, quackery, and various modes of interpreting what we as humans observe and how we interpret them-particularly those which have no demonstrable basis other than traditions, cultural assumptions, or the human tendency to re-construct reality based on emotional preferences "if it feels good it must be true." Now, some of the things in which a great many people believe may have factual basis but the only way to determine this is by eliminating other possible explanations and scientific investigation is the only verifiable means of doing so.

Having prefaced my approach on subjects such as this, my research in the area has produced interesting but problematical results. There have been some clinical trials and some research done which seem to indicate that there may be a possible benefit to magnetic therapy for certain specific conditions-here's a link to the New York University's Langone Medical Center-Disease, Condition, & Injury Fact Sheets | NYU Langone Medical Center however there has been no large-scale study done to determine cause-effect relationships nor have I been able to find any studies verifying any physical/biological/chemical mechanism involved. I have noticed that most usages involving types of magnetic therapy are of the pulsed electromagnetic field type and not a static field such as a magnetic bracelet would have. Another problem I've run across is the difficulty of removing the placebo-effect, it's difficult to establish a control group with a "fake" magnetic bracelet to test against real bracelets because it has been demonstrated that assumption of efficacy does affect the body's natural physiological healing abilities and we simply do not know enough about the brain at this point to determine if the bracelet is the operative factor, or, if both, which one is predominating.

A second issue is that of charlatanry-the Internet is filled with ads from purveyors of "alternative medicine" giving wild claims and populating their ads with anecdotal claims of success which prey upon the general population's lack of knowledge of science and tendency to "hear what we want to hear"-someone in pain will sometimes try anything whether there is any reason to expect it to work or not.


The bottom line on magnetic bracelets, from my perspective is this-there has been no clinical evidence indicating that wearing one of the bracelets is physically harmful so if it possibly may induce a placebo-effect form of pain relief, what the hell-give it a shot. Any other claimed benefits health-wise are simply undemonstrated at present and, to me, that disqualifies them from consideration. As far as making you smarter, well, I'd use more traditional methods-like reading and thinking and conversing with others with demonstrated intelligence.

I firmly believe PTSD is real. I certainly haven't 'experienced' it, but I will say that on the eve of the start of Gulf War II, I became so suddenly and inexplicably anxious that I actually called in to work that night shift. I think in high-stress situations such as combat, the survival need requires one to suppress ordinary responses (like fear and panic) to such a degree that they can manifest themselves later. The ONLY explanation for my anxiety that night was that I was 're-experiencing' my experience in Gulf War I, and thus feelings I might have buried at the time I got to experience again full-force. My brother, who was in Beirut when the embassy bombing occurred, shared he had a similar experience that night.

That being said, sorry - but I think there are more than a few out there who seize upon legitimate psychiatric conditions to explain issues that may have more to do with who they are than what they've experienced. I've met far too many vets who claim some 'disability' or another who by all reasonable assessment appear normal and functioning.

Interesting study though - I think the purported value of magnets has spawned so many charlatan claims because, by their very nature, their power seems almost magical. An invisible force that can move objects? Lets face it - that's pretty cool. Is it something *beyond* cool? Maybe, in some cases, so.

Boone, I work with Paul Roy who was at Beirut as well. He does NOT talk about the bombing and, in fact, did not attend the memorial last year....even though I tried desperately to get him to go. He just could not do it. Perhaps there is some PTSD issues there as well. The week before the memorial he was not sleeping and he and I were spending lots of time talking at the coffee machine. He is the ROTC instructor at my school and at least one of our students regularly gets the 150 thou. ROTC scholarship somewhere each year...he's that good....great guy. (IMO)

Serv..speaking of alternative medicine...what are your thoughts on Andrew Weil? I think his stuff is great....but admit that hamburgers and french fries are on my list of semi-regular food (Do you guys have 5 Guys down there? If so..avoid the beginning of that addiction right now), therefore I have a long way to go in terms of his advice. I think it's spot-on though..if only I were more disciplined. I'll bet he wears a magnetic bracelet. It might be that they are only for arthritis in the wrist..in which case I need a shoulder one....keep an eye out will ya'? Just kidding.

JM, I'm going to refer you to an article about Dr. Weil written by a Dr. Arnold S. Relman M.D. that summarizes many of the pluses and minuses about his approach.A Trip to Stonesville: Some Notes on Andrew Weil

My own thinking on the entire matter of "alternative" medicine is this-there may indeed be merit to some of the treatments but placing trust in them without properly gathered evidence of effectiveness is to me totally unacceptable because of the fact that emotional appeal can exert a distortion in perception-we believe things to be true because we want them to be true. One of my core concepts is this. Feelings are not facts.

Thanks Serv, for that article. I printed it out, but it might take me a day or two to get through it....no more snow days for me. LOL