Stimulation of subcortical brain regions using transcranial rotating permanent magnetic stimulation (trpms)

An apparatus for stimulating or biomagnetically effecting a biological, cellular or biochemical function or structure in a targeted subcortical location in a brain of a patient comprising:

• a head mount positioned on the patient;
• and
• a plurality of releasable magnetic assemblies coupled to the head mount including rotating permanent magnets operable to rotate for controlled durations and spin rates, the plurality of magnetic assemblies being selectively positioned at locations of the head mount to stimulate the targeted subcortical location in the brain of the patient;
• wherein activation of each of the plurality of magnetic assemblies at the selected locations causes magnetic fluxes of a selected strength, frequency and duration to be directed into the brain of the patient, wherein the magnetic flux directed into the brain of the patient from each of the assemblies is operative to generate induced electric fields in regions of the brain;
• and
• wherein the regions of induced electric fields generated by each of the plurality of magnetic assemblies converge and overlap in the targeted subcortical location and combine to a magnitude sufficient to stimulate or affect the biological, cellular or biochemical function or structure in the targeted subcortical location, while the induced electric fields are insufficient to affect the biological, cellular or biochemical function or structure outside of the regions where the induced electric fields overlap and
• wherein the induced electric fields as combined at the targeted subcortical location has a magnitude in a range of 12 V/m to 30 V/m and the targeted subcortical location is 2 or more centimeters deep as measured from an external surface of the brain.