Repeated verbal interruptions during exposure to complex transcerebral magnetic fields elicit irritability: implications for opiate effects.

Men (n = 17) and women (n = 18) listened to a brief narrative and then were exposed for 30 min. to a control condition or to a weak (1 microTesla) complex magnetic field applied over the left hemisphere, the right hemisphere, or bilaterally. The subjects were interrupted intermittently to report their thoughts during this period. Because the wave structure of the field had been shown to elevate nociceptive thresholds and to simulate the effects of morphine in rats, we predicted that the group who received the bilateral stimulation should report greater irritability because of their disrupted pleasant experiences. The results supported this hypothesis.