Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Nonlinear EEG activation evoked by low-strength low-frequency magnetic fields med./bio.

By: Carrubba S, Frilot C, Chesson AL, Marino AA

Published in: Neurosci Lett 2007; 417 (2): 212-216

Aim of study (acc. to author)

This in vivo study was designed to further analyze the result of a previous study (see publication 15027) that electromagnetic field exposure evoke nonlinear magneto-sensory potentials in humans.

Background/further details

Eight clinical normal subjects (two males aged between 30 and 45 years; six females aged between 18 and 65 years) were examined. Under the hypothesis that magneto-sensory evoked potentials are nonlinear, the brain electrical responses exhibited by human subjects would be expected to differ even when the exposures were replicated. Therefore, the participants were exposed at two times separated by at least one week and results compared in this regard.

Endpoint

effects on the neurological system: magneto-sensory evoked potentials

Exposure

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 60 Hz Modulation type: pulsed Exposure duration: 2 s pulses with 5 s intervall	magnetic flux density: 100 µT

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	60 Hz
Type	magnetic field
Waveform	pulsed
Exposure duration	2 s pulses with 5 s intervall

Modulation

Modulation type	pulsed
Pulse width	2 s

Exposure setup

Exposure source	coil(s)
Setup	field applied in the coronal plane
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
magnetic flux density	100 µT	-	-	-	-

Reference articles

Carrubba S et al. (2006): Detection of nonlinear event-related potentials

Exposed system:

human
whole body

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

effects on the neurological system: magneto-sensory evoked potentials (EEG; linear, time-averaging and nonlinear, recurrence analysis)

Investigated system:

investigation on living organism

Investigated organ system:

brain/CNS

Time of investigation:

before exposure
during exposure
after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Using recurrence analysis (nonlinear analysis), magneto-sensory evoked potentials were detected in each subject in both the initial and replicate studies, with one exception. All magneto-sensory evoked potentials exhibited characteristics, indicating that they were nonlinearly related to the magnetic field stimulus.
Using time averaging (linear analysis) the magneto-sensory evoked potentials were not detected, thereby further confirming their nonlinearity.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study

Study funded by

not stated/no funding

Frilot 2nd C et al. (2011): Transient and steady-state magnetic fields induce increased fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the rat hindbrain
Marino AA et al. (2010): Simulated MR magnetic field induces steady-state changes in brain dynamics: Implications for interpretation of functional MR studies
Carrubba S et al. (2010): Numerical analysis of recurrence plots to detect effect of environmental-strength magnetic fields on human brain electrical activity
Carrubba S et al. (2010): Mobile-phone pulse triggers evoked potentials
Carrubba S et al. (2009): The electric field is a sufficient physical determinant of the human magnetic sense
Cook CM et al. (2009): Changes in human EEG alpha activity following exposure to two different pulsed magnetic field sequences
Carrubba S et al. (2008): Magnetosensory evoked potentials: consistent nonlinear phenomena
Carrubba S et al. (2007): Evidence of a nonlinear human magnetic sense
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Marino AA et al. (2003): Nonlinear changes in brain electrical activity due to cell phone radiation
Marino AA et al. (2003): Consistent magnetic-field induced dynamical changes in rabbit brain activity detected by recurrence quantification analysis
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Bell G et al. (1992): Electrical states in the rabbit brain can be altered by light and electromagnetic fields