Bioelectromagnetics

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Bioelectromagnetics is the study of how electromagnetic fields interact with and influence
biological processes; almost the same as radiobiology of non-ionizing radiation.[citation needed]
Common areas of investigation include the mechanism of animal migration and navigation
using the geomagnetic field, studying the potential effects of man-made sources of
electromagnetic fields, such as those produced by the power distribution system and mobile
phones, and developing novel therapies to treat various conditions.
The term 'Bioelectromagnetics' is somewhat similar to bioelectromagnetism, which deals
with the ability of living cells, tissues or organisms to produce electrical fields, but also
includes "the response of excitable cells to electric and magnetic field stimulation".[1]

Contents
[hide]
• 1 History
• 2 Thermal vs nonthermal nature
• 3 Behavioral effects
• 4 TMS (and related)
• 5 See also
• 6 Notes
• 7 References
○ 7.1 Organizations
○ 7.2 Books
○ 7.3 Journals
 ○ 7.4 Journal Articles
• 8 External links

[edit] History
The history of bioelectromagnetic medicine has been marked by confusion, controversy, and
a profusion of quack devices.[2] A number of notable people, Anton Mesmer, Albert Abrams,
and Wilhelm Reich, introduced energy therapies that are considered to be fraudulent, even
though they have many supporters.[2]
In the early 1900s a variety of electrotherapeutic devices were in widespread use by medical
doctors.[2] This was however before the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
and before there was any requirement for scientific testing such as in clinical or experimental
trials. For example, the "$18.00 Giant Power Heidelberg Electric Belt," sold in the 1902
catalogue of the Sears Roebuck Company, was described as "the most wonderful relief and
cure of all chronic nervous diseases, disorders, and weaknesses perculiar to men, no matter
from what cause or how long standing"."[2] There was a period where electrotherapy devices
had become abolished "...and academics frowned upon anyone who even brought up the
subject of electromagnetic therapy.".[2] Nevertheless some of the early works in
biolectromagnetics are being successfully applied in clinical medicine.[2] Bioelectromagnetic
approaches included diagnosis and treatment.[2]
[edit] Thermal vs nonthermal nature
Most of the molecules that make up the human body interact only weakly with
electromagnetic fields (EMF) that are in the radiofrequency or extremely low frequency
bands. One basic interaction is the absorption of energy from the EMF, which can cause
tissue to heat up; more intense field exposures will produce greater heating. This heat
deposition can lead to biological effects ranging from muscle relaxation—as produced by a
diathermy device—to discomfort to protein denaturation to burns. Many nations and
regulatory bodies (for example, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation
Protection) have established safety guidelines to limit the EMF exposure to a non-thermal
level, which can either be defined as heating only to the point where the excess heat can be
dissipated/radiated away, or as some small temperature increase that is not detectable with
current instruments (such as a heating of less than 0.1°C).
However, many studies have shown that biological effects may be present for these non-
thermal exposures. Various mechanisms have been proposed to explain biological effects
from non-thermal exposures (Binhi, 2002), and there may be several mechanisms at work
underlying the differing phenomena observed. Biological effects of weak electromagnetic
fields are the subject of study in magnetobiology.
[edit] Behavioral effects
Many subtle, and at times, not-so-subtle effects on behavior have been reported from
exposure to magnetic fields, with a particular focus in research on pulsed magnetic fields.
The specific pulseform used appears to be an important factor for the behavioural effect seen.
For instance, a pulsed magnetic field originally designed for magnetic resonance
spectroscopic imaging was found to alleviate symptoms in bipolar patients (Rohan et al.,
2004), while another MRI pulse had no effect. A whole-body exposure to a pulsed magnetic
field was found to alter standing balance (Thomas et al., 2001) and pain perception (Shupak
et al., 2004) in other studies.
[edit] TMS (and related)
A strong changing magnetic field can induce electrical currents in conductive tissue, such as
the brain. Since the magnetic field will penetrate tissue, it can be generated outside of the
head to induce currents within, hence Transcranial magnetic stimulation. These currents will
depolarize neurons in a selected part of the brain, leading to changes in the patterns of neural
activation. Essentially, the effect of TMS is to change the information content in the neurons.
There is no structural or heating effect that may damage the tissue; only natural signals
(action potentials) are generated in the target area. If there are any risks, these are due to the
arrival of action potentials to synapses and the natural activation of the postsynaptic cell.
A number of scientists and clinicians are attempting to use TMS to replace electroconvulsive
therapy (ECT) to treat disorders such as severe depression. Instead of one strong electric
shock through the head as in ECT, a large number of relatively weak pulses are delivered in
TMS treatment, typically at the rate of about 10 pulses per second.
If very strong pulses at a rapid rate are delivered to the brain, the induced currents can cause
convulsions. Sometimes this is done deliberately in order to treat depression such as in ECT.
[edit] See also
• Bioelectromagnetism
• Biophysics
• Specific absorption rate and Electromagnetic radiation and health.
• Mobile phone radiation and health
• Michael Persinger
• Radiobiology
• Magnetobiology
[edit] Notes
1. ^ Jaakko Malmivuo, Robert Plonsey, Bioelectromagnetism: Principles and Applications of
Bioelectric and Biomagnetic Fields. Oxford University Press. New York, Oxford. 1995
2. ^ a b c d e f g Rosch, P. & Marko S. Markov. "Bioelectromagnetic Medicine". Informa Health
Care, 2004. ISBN 0824747003, ISBN 9780824747008. Republished by Google books.
Accessed 8 June 2009.

[edit] References
[edit] Organizations
• The Bioelectromagnetics Society (BEMS)
• European BioElectomagnetics Association (EBEA)
• Society for Physical Regulation in Biology and Medicine (SPRBM) (formerly the
Bioelectrical Repair and Growth Society, BRAGS)
• International Society for Bioelectromagnetism (ISBEM)
[edit] Books
• Robert O. Becker and Andrew A. Marino, Electromagnetism and Life, State
University of New York Press, Albany, 1982 (ISBN 0-87395-561-7)
• Robert O. Becker, The Body Electric: Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life,
William Morrow & Co, 1985 (ISBN 0-688-00123-8)
• Robert O. Becker, Cross Currents: The Promise of Electromedicine, the Perils of
Electropollution, Tarcher, 1989 (ISBN 0-87477-536-1)
 • Jaakko Malmivuo and Robert Plonsey, Bioelectromagnetism: Principles and
Applications of Bioelectric and Biomagnetic Fields, Oxford University Press, 1995
(ISBN 0-19-505823-2)
• David O. Carpenter and Sinerik Ayrapetyan, Biological Effects of Electric and
Magnetic Fields, Volume 1 : Sources and Mechanisms, Academic Press, 1994 (ISBN
0-12-160261-3)
• David O. Carpenter and Sinerik Ayrapetyan, Biological Effects of Electric and
Magnetic Fields : Beneficial and Harmful Effects (Vol 2), Academic Press, 1994
(ISBN 0-12-160261-3)
• A. Chiabrera (Editor), Interactions Between Electromagnetic Fields and Cells,
Springer, 1985 (ISBN 0-306-42083-X)
• Mary E. O'Connor (Editor), et al., Emerging Electromagnetic Medicine, Springer,
1990 (ISBN 0-387-97224-2)
• William F. Horton and Saul Goldberg, Power Frequency Magnetic Fields and Public
Health, CRC Press, 1995 (ISBN 0-8493-9420-1)
• Riadh W. Y. Habash, Electromagnetic Fields and Radiation: Human Bioeffects and
Safety, Marcel Dekker, 2001 (ISBN 0-8247-0677-3)
• Ho Mae-Wan, et al., Bioelectrodynamics and Biocommunication, World Scientific,
1994 (ISBN 981-02-1665-3)
• Paul Brodeur, Currents of Death, Simon & Schuster, 2000 (ISBN 0-7432-1308-4)
• Binhi V.N. Magnetobiology: Underlying Physical Problems. San Diego: Academic
Press, 2002. ISBN 0-12-100071-0.
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/bookdescription.cws_home/699798/description
[edit] Journals
• Bioelectromagnetics, Wiley, 1985–present, (ISSN 0197-8462)
• Bioelectrochemistry, Elsevier, 1974–present, (ISSN 1567-5394)
• International Journal of Bioelectromagnetism, ISBEM, 1999–present, (ISSN 1456-
7865)
• BioMagnetic Research and Technology [1]
• Biophysics, English version of the Russian "Biofizika" (ISSN 0006-3509)
• Radiatsionnaya Bioliogiya Radioecologia ("Radiation Biology and Radioecology", in
Russian) (ISSN 0869-8031)
[edit] Journal Articles
• Rohan et al. La Drunk., 2004. Am J Psychiatry. 161(1):93-8.
• Shupak et al., 2004. Neurosci Lett. 363(2):157-62.
• Thomas et al., 2001. Neurosci Lett. 309(1):17-20.
[edit] External links
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Categories: Biophysics | Physiology | Radiobiology | Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies
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