PREVIOUSLY touted as a possible treatment for migraine, stroke and even coma , transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been given its first official stamp of approval by the US Food and Drug Administration – as a treatment for depression in people who fail to respond

to antidepressant drugs.In TMS, an electromagnetic

coil is held over the patient’s head to induce a weak electric current in their brain tissue. Several large trials have suggested it can be useful in treating depression, as the coil’s rapidly changing magnetic fields excite cells in the areas of the brain involved in mood regulation. Neuronetics of Malvern, Pennsylvania, says that in the latest trials it submitted to the FDA more than half of depressed people treated showed an improvement in symptoms after receiving five 40-minute TMS sessions per week for four to six weeks.

The FDA’s approval may prompt a flood of companies hoping to get TMS approved in other countries. “It is a very significant step forward, as everyone looks to the US as the leader,” says Andrew Thomas of the UK-based company, Magstim.

SOME of the US’s pristine forests could soon be criss-crossed with roads for logging and mining as the federal government once again relaxes conservation rules – this time in Idaho.

US national parks are still protected, but at threat are so-called “roadless” areas of national forests. These cover more than 230,000 square kilometres – an area nearly as large as the UK. Bill Clinton banned virtually all

development in these areas just before leaving office in January 2001. The Bush administration scrapped this policy in 2005, working out rules on a state-by-state basis instead.

On 16 October , the federal government announced it had opened up more than 1600 square kilometres of roadless forest in Idaho to development, including areas bordering Yellowstone national park (see map).

Conservationists are now worried that phosphate mines may be opened in these areas, which could kill aquatic life by polluting nearby rivers. The problem is unlikely to affect the national park itself, they say,

“Several large trials have suggested that TMS can be useful in treating depression”

“The thought of using high-quality environments for mining is troubling”

ALASKA’S beluga whales should be keeping their flippers crossed that Sarah Palin won’t make it to the White House. This week, the US government added beluga whales in the Cook Inlet in Alaska to the endangered species list, despite Palin’s efforts as state governor to prevent protection for this population being boosted.

Earlier this year, Palin expressed outrage at a decision to put the polar bear on the endangered list, and Alaska unsuccessfully sued for the potential loss of revenue from oil and gas development. She also claimed there was not enough evidence to classify the Cook Inlet beluga whale as endangered, and called for a recount.

Though the recount delayed the listing by six months, it revealed that the Cook Inlet is home to just 375 of the animals, down from 653 in 1995.

National Forest wilderness areas

Other National Forest lands

“Roadless” forest being opened up

WYOMING

YELLOWSTONE

NATIONAL PARK

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but could damage the ecosystem of the greater Yellowstone, which extends into Idaho.

“The thought of turning these very high-quality environments into polluted phosphate-mining zones is really very troubling,” says Mike Anderson of the Wilderness Society, Washington DC. He is hoping a new US president will overturn the policy.

KRIS

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–Hard times ahead for deep-sea crustaceans–

60 SECONDS

Bubble mission

A NASA spacecraft launched on Sunday will map the size and shape of the “bubble” surrounding our solar system, where the solar wind collides with interstellar gas. The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission will observe this region from Earth orbit by collecting particles flung from the border zone.

Arctic heat

Autumn air temperatures have risen to record levels in the Arctic. According to an annual report from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, average air temperatures this fall are 5 °C above normal. The researchers put it down to the major loss of sea ice in the region in recent years. This allows more solar heating of the ocean, which in turn warms the air.

Moving evolution

An enormous seed bank proposed by US scientists to capture the world’s plant diversity could spot evolution in action. Traditional seed banks are static because they are aimed at conservation, but the proposed repository would regularly collect and study samples. This could document adaptations in plants – particularly the effects of climate change, such as early flowering (BioScience, vol 58, p 870).

Baby boomer blues

Middle-aged white people fuelled the first rise in US suicides for a decade. In this group, there was a 3.9 per cent increase in suicides per year between 1999 and 2005 in women and 2.7 per cent in men. Midlife crises and drug abuse by “baby boomers” are suggested as possible causes (American Journal of

Preventive Medicine, DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2008.07.005).

Killer dog food

Almost 1500 raccoon dogs have died in China after eating food contaminated with melamine, the industrial chemical that killed four babies – and sickened thousands – after they drank tainted formula milk. The dogs, bred for fur, were on a farm in Liaoning province.

Brain tickler

Park in peril

Palin thwarted

www.newscientist.com 25 October 2008 | NewScientist | 7