Static Magnetic Field Stimulation over the Visual Cortex Increases Alpha Oscillations and Slows Visual Search in Humans.

Transcranial static magnetic field stimulation (tSMS) was recently introduced as a promising tool to modulate human cerebral excitability in a noninvasive and portable way. However, a demonstration that static magnetic fields can influence human brain activity and behavior is currently lacking, despite evidence that static magnetic fields interfere with neuronal function in animals. Here we show that transcranial application of a static magnetic field (120-200 mT at 2-3 cm from the magnet surface) over the human occiput produces a focal increase in the power of alpha oscillations in underlying cortex.