technology

A La Jolla startup has made an audacious claim, even by thebiomedical industry’s standards. It says it can turn water into drugs. The company, Nativis Inc., says its technology comes from awell-established theory of physics, quantum electrodynamics. According to that theory, chemistry is based on the interactions of small packets of electromagnetic radiation called photons. Because it’s the photons that really matter, Nativis executives say, the chemical really isn’t important. Just imprint the pattern of photons on water or a similar liquid, and that liquid will carry the effect of the chemical. Nativis plans to apply the technique to drugs already on the market, making them safer, cheaper and more effective. If that claims holds up, Nativis’ drugs will go much further into hard-to-reach places such as inside the brain and cells,fighting cancer, regulating genetic activity and providing other benefits. They’ll produce less harmful side effects. In short, existing drug technology will become obsolete. However, the history of biotechnology is littered with the failures of astounding claims. And experts in quantum electrodynamics contacted by the North County Times last week were strongly skeptical. Against this skepticism, Nativis has attracted some well-known medical scientists to advise as consultants. Local biotech veteran William T. Comer is one of them. He was CEO of Sibia Neurosciences Inc. when it was sold in 1999 to Merck& Co. for $87 million. Also consulting are Gerald Yakatan,former president and CEO of La Jolla’s Avanir Pharmaceuticals, and Jerry Radich, medical director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. A Rancho Santa Fe resident, Comer helped Bristol Myers-Squibbbring the cancer drug Taxol to market. Nativis’ first project is to test a Taxol mimic called Digitax, now in pre-clinical trials. Nativis said it plans to ask permission this fall to begin human clinical trials. Comer concedes the idea is hard to understand, and needs a lot of testing. “They’ve talked to a lot of investors who’ve had formal training in physics, and they still don’t get it,” Comer said. “I think that’s one of the main challenges. It’s just, prove it to me, show me. It’s just so radically different that I think the whole concept needs a lot of validation by well-known academic people. … That’s what the company’s trying to do.” Nativis has conducted a study of Digitax given orally to mice that the company says shows the drug had a statistically significant effect in reducing tumors. The study, which has not been published by a peer-reviewed scientific journal, also examined mice given the generic form of Taxol and control mice given no treatment. Nativis said it’s preparing to submit articles on its technology to peer-reviewed journals in the next six months. The U.S. Patent and Trade Office has issued several patents to Nativis for its technology. Advantages include lowered cost of manufacture and increased penetration into hard-to-read parts of the body, said John Butters,the company’s CEO. Digitax will be tested on patients with glioblastoma, a particularly deadly form of brain cancer. Taxol is blocked by a barrier between the blood and brain. However, the membrane is permeable to water. Butters, a Del Mar resident, said Nativis plans to apply its technology to other drugs, once it demonstrates the effectiveness with Digitax.

The idea

Nativis’ process involves two main steps, Butters said. First,it captures and records what it calls the “drug signal” of a molecule, the extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field surrounding the molecule when it’s dissolved. The pattern is what’s important, Butters said, because it’s actually what triggers the biochemical responses. In the second step, Nativis reverses the process to imprint the pattern onto “dipole” liquids such as water, with molecules that have positive and negative sides. The pattern, formed on clumps of molecules, can last for weeks, Butters said. The pattern is made up of photons, forms of electromagnetic radiation. The photons are very low-energy, he said. Higher-energy photons form radio waves,visible light and X-rays. When the liquid reaches its target, such as a cell, it delivers the photon “payload,” producing the therapeutic effect. Butters said the technology is based on quantum electrodynamics,which holds that chemical reactions are caused by how photons interact with electrons, the negatively charged particles orbiting atoms. That interaction produces an extremely low-level and faint magnetic field. It can be detected with an instrument called a SQUID, or superconducting quantum interference device, which Nativis has incorporated into its own system.

Experts skeptical

The North County Times gave several quantum electrodynamics experts at universities and national laboratories promotional material from Nativis describing the technology, and the theoretical justification from quantum electrodynamics. Peter J. Mohr, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md, expressed moderate skepticism. Mohr said by e-mail that while he’s not a drug chemist, “our understanding of photons or radiation emitted by a molecule is that it is unlikely to contain enough information to transmit thetherapeutic properties of the source. … Work on quantum computation may eventually change this, but it appears that practical applications are well off in the future.” Two experts replied with more strongly skeptical responses, but neither gave permission to be quoted by name. Nativis was founded in 2002 in Washington state. Butters said the company moved to La Jolla to be close to a major maker of SQUIDs, Tristan Technologies Inc. The devices are made for various applications, including measuring the magnetic fields produced by living things. Tristan was formed in 1991 by people from other local companies working with the SQUID technology. It makes brain-scanners that read the extremely faint magnetic fields produced by the brain, to help diagnose diseases. Another San Diego company, called 4D Neuroimaging, also made the scanners. In 2009 it was bought by a Canadian company, MEGInternational Services, Ltd, which moved its equipment to Temecula.From that location, MEG provides customer service, such as repairing existing machines.

(Source : The San Diego Union-Tribune)

 - So i'm trying to fix my headphones, and i'm wondering if replacing a copper wire with one of a smaller diameter will affect it's functionality ?

Yes, replacing a copper wire with one of a smaller diameter can affect the functionality of your headphones. Here's why:

1. Increased Resistance: A thinner wire has a higher electrical resistance than a thicker wire. This increased resistance can lead to a reduction in the power delivered to the headphones, potentially causing a decrease in volume or audio quality.

2. Current Carrying Capacity: A smaller wire can carry less current without overheating. If the wire is too thin for the power levels your headphones require, it could overheat or cause performance issues over time.

3. Signal Integrity: Audio signals are sensitive to changes in resistance and impedance. A smaller wire might degrade the signal, leading to reduced audio clarity, distortion, or loss of certain frequencies.

Ideally, you should replace the wire with one of similar diameter (gauge) to maintain the original performance of the headphones.

- Will it affects the functionality of my headphones even if it's a small differences, for example if use a wire of 0,75 mm² in lieu of 0,50 mm² ?

If you are replacing a 0.50 mm² wire with a 0.75 mm² wire, the difference is actually an increase in wire size (a thicker wire). In this case, it’s unlikely to negatively affect your headphones. Here's what happens when you use a thicker wire:

1. Lower Resistance: A 0.75 mm² wire has lower electrical resistance than a 0.50 mm² wire, which means it can carry current more efficiently. This would reduce power loss and potentially improve performance, although the difference may be very small in the case of headphones.

2. Better Current Carrying Capacity: The thicker wire can carry more current, so there is less chance of it overheating or failing. While headphones don’t typically draw a lot of current, having extra capacity won’t hurt.

3. Minimal Impact on Signal Quality: The difference between 0.50 mm² and 0.75 mm² in terms of audio signal quality would be negligible for most headphone applications. You’re more likely to see a problem if you were going the other way (using a smaller wire).

In summary, using a 0.75 mm² wire instead of a 0.50 mm² wire should not cause any functional issues, and might even provide a small improvement in durability or efficiency, though the impact on sound quality would be minimal.

(Source : ChatGPT)

In this review we discuss alarming epidemiological and experimental data on possible carcinogenic effects of long term exposure to low intensity microwave (MW) radiation. Recently, a number of reports revealed that under certain conditions the irradiation by low intensity MW can substantially induce cancer progression in humans and in animal models. The carcinogenic effect of MW irradiation is typically manifested after long term (up to 10 years and more) exposure.

Nevertheless, even a year of operation of a powerful base transmitting station for mobile communication reportedly resulted in a dramatic increase of cancer incidence among population living nearby.

In addition, model studies in rodents unveiled a significant increase in carcinogenesis after 17-24 months of MW exposure both in tumor-prone and intact animals. To that, such metabolic changes, as overproduction of reactive oxygen species, 8-hydroxi-2-deoxyguanosine formation, or ornithine decarboxylase activation under exposure to low intensity MW confirm a stress impact of this factor on living cells.

We also address the issue of standards for assessment of biological effects of irradiation. It is now becoming increasingly evident that assessment of biological effects of non-ionizing radiation based on physical (thermal) approach used in recommendations of current regulatory bodies, including the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) Guidelines, requires urgent reevaluation.

We conclude that recent data strongly point to the need for re-elaboration of the current safety limits for non-ionizing radiation using recently obtained knowledge. We also emphasize that the everyday exposure of both occupational and general public to MW radiation should be regulated based on a precautionary principles which imply maximum restriction of excessive exposure.

(Source : PubMed)

Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) characterized by its patterned delivery of magnetic pulses at a frequency that mimics the brain’s natural theta rhythms. Theta waves are associated with certain brain functions, including memory, emotions, learning, cognitive tasks, deep relaxation and sleep. 

With TBS delivering stimulation that resembles natural brain wave rhythms, it may achieve therapeutic effects more quickly and longer-lasting. TBS is thought to induce changes in neuroplasticity – the ability for the brain to reorganize and heal itself by forming new neural connections –  which is an important aspect for recovery from various mental health conditions.

TBS sessions are shorter, typically lasting 3 minutes and have generally been well-tolerated, making it suitable for a wider range of individuals in search of more choices in their path to healing.

Similar to TMS, Theta Burst therapy is straightforward and non-invasive. The typical 40-minute session required for TMS has been drastically reduced to 3 minutes with TBS, enhancing both patient comfort and the ease of undergoing treatment. Additionally, the stand-alone TBS treatment is considerably more cost-effective than traditional TMS treatment, despite being equally or more effective, largely because of its shorter duration. TBS has been studied in various clinical trials and has shown promise in the treatment of conditions like depression and OCD. In 2018, this treatment has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and may thus be covered by your insurance.

(Source : TMS Center of Ventura)

Theta-burst stimulation is a more powerful type of transcranial magnetic stimulation, a proven form of treatment for illnesses like depression. The original treatment uses a magnetic-field-generating device that subjects the brain to low-frequency magnetic pulses. The magnetic field elicits a response in the brain’s neurons, which communicate using electricity. While the old form of treatment took up to 40 minutes per session, high-frequency theta-burst stimulation takes only three minutes per day – a distinct advantage, according to CAMH’s Daniel Blumberger. “At 40 minutes, you can treat eight people in a day,” said Blumberger, a clinician scientist at the centre who provides the treatment to his patients. “At three minutes, you can treat 25 people in a day with one machine.” This new form of magnetic pulse therapy also works on the same wavelength as the brain itself. “It capitalizes on one of the brain’s natural rhythms,” Blumberger said. “The theta frequency is a frequency that the brain operates at when it’s learning new things and when it’s changing. So it capitalizes on the principle of neuroplasticity.” The procedure is simple and non-invasive, involving a hand-held wand to deliver bursts.

(Source : CTV News)

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a non-surgical brain stimulation method used to treat various mental and neurological conditions. Introduced in 1985, it gained FDA approval in 2008 for treating severe depression. rTMS uses electromagnetic pulses to activate brain nerve cells, and is often paired with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It’s helpful for conditions like bipolar disorder, depression, OCD, epilepsy, migraines, and nicotine addiction, and is now being explored for tinnitus treatment. Conducted in a clinic, it’s a convenient option for patients. Magnets are crucial in rTMS, similar to their use in MRI machines for detecting cancer and injuries. These strong magnets in rTMS influence brain activity, showing promise in treating various conditions, including tinnitus.

During TMS Treatment

During TMS, patients sit comfortably as an electromagnetic coil is placed on their head, targeting specific brain areas. Jewelry and other metallic items must be removed to avoid interference. The process, known as rTMS, is non-invasive and doesn’t require anesthesia, often completed within 20 to 30 minutes. Patients may feel a tapping sensation and hear clicking noises, similar to an MRI machine, and are provided earplugs for comfort and hearing protection – it is important to note that failure to protect the ears during TMS can affect normal hearing and result in permanent hearing loss. To make the experience as easy as possible, the treatment intensity is adjusted based on the patient’s response.

After TMS Treatment

Post-TMS, patients can immediately resume normal activities and drive themselves home. However, some patients may experience temporary discomfort at the treatment site, headaches, lightheadedness, tingling, or facial muscle spasms. Following initial sessions, subsequent treatments are typically shorter, with the entire process spanning 6 weeks of daily stimulation. Maintenance treatments may be necessary after symptom recovery.

Who Can Benefit From TMS?

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy is primarily for adults (18 and older) with mental health conditions like depression and OCD, especially those resistant to medications and other treatments. However, it’s not suitable for everyone. Patients with metal implants, such as bullet fragments in the head, or those with a history of seizures are typically ineligible. Cost is also a consideration, as TMS therapy can be expensive and insurance coverage is not guaranteed. Most insurance companies only cover TMS for Major Depressive Disorder, often after other treatments have been tried. The financial aspect can be a barrier for uninsured patients, limiting their access to this therapy. Despite these limitations, there are more affordable and effective alternatives available for treating these conditions.

Safety Features For TMS Treatment

One of the most important safety considerations for rTMS devices is how well they’re able to consistently deliver the pulses. The output should be consistent throughout treatment, and it’s very possible for component failure or drift to affect efficacy. Every TMS device must demonstrate its ability to indicate it’s functioning optimally. Since the same therapy is provided at every session, the device must be able to recreate the same conditions throughout the treatment process. The initial rTMS session is the longest, and patients aren’t expected to go through finding their motor threshold and coil placement every single session. The FDA deems recalling these presets an important safety feature for rTMS devices. rTMS devices should also have some type of features or components to prevent overheating. The risk of burns, though rare, is still a real possibility and should be disclosed to patients receiving TMS. Alarms should also be present to alert the treatment administrator of any problems with the device.

Types Of TMS

Before we explore how TMS can help with the treatment of tinnitus, we have to understand what the treatment entails. This will make connecting those complicated dots easier.  TMS treatments can take different approaches to treat specific conditions. This can involve using a different pulse pattern, or magnetic coils. rTMS is TMS that involves using repetitive pulses during treatment at low-frequency 1Hz (1 pulse/second) or high-frequency 5-10Hz (5-10 pulses/second). Theta-burst stimulation or TBS is an accelerated form of TMS. TBS uses triple bursts, emitting 15 pulses in a single second, with sessions lasting as little as 1 to 3 minutes. dTMS or Deep TMS uses H-shaped helmed coils to penetrate deeper into the brain. This makes it more effective at treating OCD and other conditions such as autism and PTSD.

rTMS Treatment For Tinnitus

For chronic tinnitus, patients often explore various treatments before finding relief. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) has emerged as a potential therapy, with its effectiveness still under study. This non-invasive method is being researched for its ability to reduce tinnitus severity. Patients considering rTMS can expect a thorough medical review, including lifestyle, family history, and any conditions like high blood pressure or mental illness that might relate to tinnitus. A physical exam focuses on identifying any external causes of tinnitus, examining the inner ear, head, and neck. The American Tinnitus Association recognizes rTMS as a promising treatment. It’s thought to work similarly to how it helps in depression, targeting brain areas linked to tinnitus perception like the primary auditory cortex, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex. These brain regions, along with the amygdala, anterior insula, and hippocampus, are associated with tinnitus-related symptoms like stress and sleep disturbances. Studies show mixed results, but some indicate that rTMS can decrease tinnitus severity. A significant aspect is the oscillatory activity in the auditory cortex and other brain regions. Increases in alpha power in the auditory cortex have been linked to reduced tinnitus severity, while decreases can intensify it. Research suggests that a series of 10 rTMS sessions might aid tinnitus management for up to four years. However, the effectiveness depends on the correct stimulation protocol, as incorrect application could worsen symptoms.

So Far, The Science Says:

Transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS can be used to treat many conditions. High-frequency rTMS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is the acceptable TMS treatment for depression. However, the TMS settings and protocols differ when dealing with chronic tinnitus. Administrators of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation must understand the importance of making the necessary adjustments on a case-by-case basis. Studies on rTMS treatment for tinnitus that show promise have some similarities, but there is a glaring difference in protocol parameters. This is what we know so far from the information collected from several randomized controlled studies:

- Frequency
Low frequency rTMS can reduce activity in the auditory cortex and other non-auditory areas related to tinnitus perception.
- Pulse rate
Overstimulating the auditory cortex during TMS therapy can have the opposite effect, increasing tinnitus loudness or intensity
- Treatment location
Most of these studies involve single-site therapy at the auditory cortex, however, two randomized controlled studies have investigated triple-site therapy. The studies that treated the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) showed no clinical efficacy. Single-site therapy that targeted the auditory cortex (AC) and posterior superior temporal gyrus (STG) shows potential in reducing tinnitus loudness.
There is no significant difference when triple-site therapy is used. Dual-site therapy of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and left temporal cortex (TC) is more effective than single-site DLPFC therapy. In one placebo controlled study, bilateral DMPFC stimulation had made a significant difference in the lives of patients with chronic tinnitus.
- Baseline and outcome measures
Tinnitus questionnaires are useful tools for establishing clinical efficacy, as they’re used to measure tinnitus perception, severity, impact, and its characteristics. Two of the most commonly used questionnaires are the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI).
PET and MRI imagining are useful tools for highlighting the metabolic and functional changes of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment. Electroencephalography (EEG) is useful for observing differences in VAS scores and brain wave frequencies.

The majority of clinical trials we’ve studied say repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation rTMS has the potential to be worthwhile for the treatment of tinnitus. Stimulating the auditory cortex and other non-auditory parts of the brain may be just the thing. The current obstacle is the standardization of rTMS treatment for tinnitus. Further clinical trials should establish protocol for chronic tinnitus treatment and open the doors for futuristic treatments.

Is TMS For Tinnitus Safe?

The safety and efficacy of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for tinnitus are still under FDA review, with over two decades of studies and clinical trials. Despite its potential, there are unresolved issues and concerns regarding the treatment’s application. One major factor is the type or brand of the TMS system. Effective treatment relies on specific characteristics of the magnetic fields, including size, penetration, and shape. Accurate coil placement, current direction, and coil type are crucial for successful treatment outcomes. Another area of debate is the stimulation parameters. While the standard frequency for rTMS is 1Hz, higher frequencies may be more effective for tinnitus. Continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) is being explored, but its efficacy remains uncertain. Determining the correct stimulation intensity is critical. This involves establishing the patient’s resting motor threshold (rMT), a process not uniformly addressed in existing studies, leading to uncertainty in treatment protocols. Large-scale, multi-site studies are needed to fully understand rTMS’s safety and effectiveness in treating tinnitus. These studies would help answer important questions about how factors like tinnitus duration, cause, patient age, and age-related hearing loss impact treatment outcomes, as well as determining the best measures for evaluating treatment success.

(Source : TrebleHealth)

As described above, it is known that the cause of tinnitus is mainly caused by aging of the auditory nervous system including the inner ear tissue, chronic fatigue or various diseases, and its function is degraded or degenerated. Thus, by activating the auditory nerve tissue and rejuvenating its function, the tinnitus and hearing loss can be cured to a considerable extent. However, effective drugs for preventing or restoring auditory tissue dysfunction or regression have not been developed so far.

Recently, it has been known that when a current of a specific characteristic is applied to a living tissue, cell tissue is activated and endocrine action is promoted, which not only heals various diseases, but also slows down functioning or degradation due to aging. There are more and more applications in the first half.

Living tissue has a complex DC potential that normally forms a steady state biological potential. If some of the tissue is damaged due to disease or trauma, the equilibrium state is broken and the damage current (COI), which is known to be lost when the damage is healed. On the other hand, when an electric field of about several V / cm is applied to a living tissue and a microcurrent of about 10 uA flows, a potential difference of the cell membrane constituting the tissue is changed to improve its permeability, And the production of ATP is increased, not only the endorphin is increased but also the depleted adrenal and various endocrine actions are recovered. Microcurrent Therapy (MCT) is based on this principle. It is reported that microcurrent is applied from outside to promote similar healing of damaged area, and furthermore, regeneration of degraded biotissue is possible.

Recently, a case of application of this method to the treatment of tinnitus / hearing loss has been disclosed. As a typical example, a method of implanting an electrode into a cochlea and applying a microcurrent is adopted. However, since this method requires electrodes to be directly in contact with the affected part of the body, when the location of the affected part is located at the deep part of the living body, an implanted electrode is required and an invasive method accompanied with surgery is performed. Recently, Pulsed Electro Magnetic Field Therapy (PEMFT) has been attracting attention as a complement to these drawbacks. In this method, pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) is applied to the affected part to generate eddy current ) To obtain a healing effect similar to that of MCT. Currently, PEMFT is the most applied field of the musculoskeletal clinical field. It is difficult to treat with conventional drug therapy such as complicated fracture, rheumatism, spinal orthopedic disease, knee joint disease, tendinitis, avascular necrosis It is a known field, and it has been reported that the healing rate of the affected part is several times as high as the treatment. In recent years, this method has been applied to clinical soft tissues. When an applied electromagnetic field is appropriately selected, it can be used as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of burns, wound, bruise, sprain, various inflammation, ulcers, edema, endometritis, , Erectile dysfunction, glaucoma, arrhythmia, hypertension, migraine headache, various pain, blurred vision, heart disease, and varicose veins.

Prior art data related to the tinnitus and hearing loss include Korea Publication No. 10-2013-0005360 (tinnitus treatment apparatus and method using auditory cannulation), and open No. 10-2009-0118122 (ear canal treatment apparatus using laser light source). The present invention proposes a non-invasive therapeutic apparatus capable of treating the tinnitus / hearing loss by irradiating the PEMF from the outside of the living body to the auditory organ tissues including the cochlea based on each of the above cases. It is an object of the present invention to provide a non- And a tinnitus / hearing loss treatment device. A PEMFT device for a living body basically has a form in which an emitter coil is placed on the surface of a living body and an alternating current is supplied as shown in Fig. When an alternating current flows in this coil, an alternating magnetic field proportional thereto is generated. The magnetic field enters the living tissue and induced electromotive force (emf) according to Faraday's law, that is, Lt; / RTI > Since the biotissue has electrical conductivity, an eddy current flows in the living body due to this electric field. Such electric fields and vortices that occur inside the living tissue act on the nearby cell tissues and exhibit beneficial physiological effects on the living body. If a vortex is generated, the magnetic field energy is consumed, so that the magnetic field and the vortex are gradually attenuated as they enter the inside as shown in FIG. The paradey's law is that when the magnetic field strength is defined as the length of the closed loop including the induced voltage, In this equation, the higher the magnetic field and the faster the change rate, the larger the induced voltage. According to the reports thus far, the biomedical effect of PEMF is mainly in ELF bands of several tens of Hz or less, which is extremely small, so it is necessary to increase the intensity of the magnetic field.

(...) The inner ear tissues, including the cochlea, are usually located at a distance of 3 to 4 cm from the skull surface in adults. (...) The biotissue is finite in conductivity, so if there is an electric field due to the induced electromotive force, the current, vortex, necessarily flows. As the vortex flows through the inside of the living body, it consumes the energy corresponding to it, so that the magnetic field is gradually attenuated while passing through the living tissue, and the vortex gradually becomes thin as shown in Fig.

(Source : Google Patent)

Summary

Abstract: Both clinical and neurophysiological data suggest that chronic tinnitus is characterized by focal brain activation. In the study reported here, pulsed magnetic-field therapy induced a highly significant increase of average total power for the delta, theta, and alpha frequency bands, predominantly within the frontal regions of the brain. We conclude that pulsed magnetic-field therapy induces changes of the electroencephalography pattern that correlated with a decrease in tinnitus symptoms. 

Growing evidence suggests that changes in spontaneous activity are an important neural correlate of tinnitus, an auditory disorder characterized by the perception of sound in the absence of a corresponding acoustic stimulus. Increases in spontaneous activity (hyperactivity) can occur at various levels of the auditory system. Most recently, a report by Eichhammer et al. indicated that pulsed magnetic-field therapy (PMFf) can be successfully employed in the treatment of tinnitus. Those authors observed an increased metabolic activity of the primary auditory cortex in subjects suffering from tinnitus; however, selective stimulation (1 Hz) of these cortical regions with PMFf resulted in a considerable lessening of tinnitus. A reduction of auditory hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia was noted after the application of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) at the left temporal-parietal cortex. After active stimulation, a remarkable effect on tinnitus sensation occurred, endured several weeks, and was paralleled by altered cortical excitability. In terms of neuronal network, epilepsies are thought to be due to an imbalance of excitation and inhibition shifted toward elevated neuronal excitability.

Studies by Weiler et al. and Shulman et al. revealed significant changes of electroencephalography (EEG) patterns in patients suffering from tinnitus as compared to normal controls. Altered EEG patterns were noted for temporal and parietal regions. After EEG-guided feedback , neurofeedback, significant changes of the EEG patterns occurred, paralleling a decrease of tinnitus sensations. The objective of our study was to determine whether lessening of tinnitus sensations after PMFf correlates with changes of EEG parameters.

Pulsed Magnetic-Field Therapy
We performed PMFT with a system acquired from Vitrotron GmbH, Heubach, Germany. The applicator was placed on the back of each patient's head . The maximum strength of the magnetic field amounts to approximately 5 µ Tesla at 100% system performance . We performed PMFT with the subjects reclining comfortably in an armchair with eyes closed in a sound-attenuated, electrically shielded room. 

DISCUSSION
The rTMS technique was initially developed for mapping and measuring brain functionality.

It is based on the principle that a varying magnetic field will cause an electrical current within any volume through which it passes. Electromagnets with intense electrical current are pulsed on and off immediately outside the skull. When the targeted rTMS magnetic field passes through the brain, it affects cortical neurons in a particular area. Further studies demonstrated that the suppressive effects of slow rTMS are not limited to the cortex but spread out to the related subcortical structures. Data suggest that slow rTMS reduces cortical excitability , both locally and in functionally linked cortical regions. Studies of patients with focal dystonia , epileptic seizures, and auditory hallucinations indicate symptom reductions after slow rTMS. Studies performed by Roland et al. and Patiakina et al. demonstrated beneficial effects of lowenergy PMFT in patients suffering from chronic tinnitus. Most recently, Eichhammer et al. employed a neuronavigated PMFT for the treatment of tinnitus patients. A decrease of tinnitus severity was noted after 5 days of PMFT; however, this approach benefitedmostly patients with an elevated metabolic activity of the primary auditory cortex. To our knowledge , thus far no published reports have addressed the issue of EEG changes in tinnitus patients after PMFT. In our study, lessening of the tinnitus sensations was paralleled by changes of EEG patterns, most notably involving the slow-frequency delta and theta bands. For both frequency bands, an increase of power was noted, predominantly in the frontal region of the brain. A noteworthy development in this context is that PMFT induced EEG changes, namely for the delta and alpha frequency bands, in patients suffering from headache and multiple sclerosis. These results indicate that PMFT can successfully be employed for the treatment of patients suffering from tinnitus. Slow rTMS is a noninvasive and easily tolerated method for altering cortical physiology and thus possibly treating brain hyperexcitability syndromes. However, further research is needed to elucidate the mechanism through which tinnitus symptoms diminish.

(Source : TinnitusJournal.com)

Lots of confusing and misleading information is on the internet, posted by sales people selling PEMF devices.
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Impressive videos explaining that intensity is not important by throwing around complicated formulas [Oersted, Coulomb, Ampere, Faraday, Maxwell just to mention a few] which are impossible to understand for people who have no solid background in physics.
 
Difficult words are used [permeability constant, magnetic flux density, coherent fields etc.] which for lay people are incomprehensible and might actually make some people believe that the offered information is probably right.
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Some of these self-appointed experts claim that high intensity of PEMF devices is not important and on this page we will explain why this is not the case and for high efficacy high intensities are a must.
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Explanations on this page do go a little deeper into the science than on the Intensity page on this website, but the information is still very well understandable for people who just want to know what the best device is for their applications.
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Let’s take a closer look why high intensity is very important to obtain deep penetration into the cells and bones and why low intensity PEMF systems are far from being effective compared to high intensity systems.

Why do we really need high intensity PEMFs?
​
Pulsing magnetic fields induce small electrical currents into the human body. However distribution and absorption of these electrical currents in the body depend not so much on electromagnetic permeability [which can be seen as some form of resistance to the degree of magnetization] but more depend on the dielectric properties of different tissues, which is different for organs, blood, bones etc.

Blood is a bio-magnetic fluid, which behaves as a magnetic fluid because of interaction of cellular proteins, cell membrane and haemoglobin for which the magnetic property is affected by factors such as the level of oxygenation saturation. Oxygenated blood is paramagnetic and de-oxygenated blood is diamagnetic up to certain levels. 
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In this picture the dielectric properties of the human body parts are shown with the their relevant dielectric penetration depth and dissipation [efficacy] of the induced currents at a pulsing frequency 10 Hz. We can now clearly see that there are large differences between e.g. blood and bone marrow [more than 3.5 times] and as such to obtain complete penetration in order to rebuild bone and cartilage, much higher electrical currents [and thus intensities] are neccesary than required for blood to obtain the desired effect.
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Another example: To penetrate the brain [cerebellum] deep inside the head the induced current must be almost 5 times higher than the required value for blood!
 
Low intensity PEMF systems cannot penetrate at a cellular level as required for bone, heart, kidney etc. etc. and only have superficial effects at the surface level and as such will only improve blood flow circulation, that’s all!

Wave propagation
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Then there is the issue of electromagnetic wave propagation in the human body.
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Batteries of implanted devices like pumps, pacemakers etc. can nowadays be charged wirelessly exactly the same way as we charge our smartphones with a charging pad. This method is called wireless power transfer.

Because electromagnetic wave propagation is different in skin, fat and muscles, implanted devices are preferrably placed in fat tissue because the electromagnetic charging currents are coupled much easier with less energy loss from the charger outside the body to the implanted device.

This is another reason why we have to start out with high intensities at skin level to be able to reach deep inside the body otherwise the energy loss caused by skin and muscles will prevent the PEMF pulses to reach the area to be treated deep inside the body.

Electromagnetic scattering, reflection and absorbtion in skin

Then there is the issue of electromagnetic scattering, reflection and absoption of the applied electromagnetic fields on human skin somewhat similar as light behaves when shining through translucent glass. There will always be some intensity loss and changes in the direction of the magnetic field lines at skin level, disturbing the coherence of the electromagnetic field.
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This effect is even stronger taking into account the curvature, torsion, change in thickness of capillaries and sweat on the skin, infuencing the magnetic susceptibility of the body.
 
Of course this effect will be felt much more with low intensity fields than with high intensity pulsing fields because of the losses which occur.
If low intensity pulsing magnetic fields should be sufficient for completely penetrating the human body, why does the minimum required magnetic field strength of clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging [MRI] machines start at 0.3 Tesla [3.000 Gauss] and going up to more than 3 Tesla?
 
The higher the intensity of the magnetic field of MRI machines, the better the picture quality and resolution obtained because of the complete penetration of the high intensity electromagnetic pulses into the organs of the body!
 
Low intensity pulses would not even be able to generate a simple low quality picture, exactly because the body can not be effective penetrated by weak electromagnetic fields.

(Source: Curatronic.com)