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Main Authors: Gomez-Tames, Jose, Tarnaud, Thomas, Joseph, Wout, Tanghe, Emmeric
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.07565
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author Gomez-Tames, Jose
Tarnaud, Thomas
Joseph, Wout
Tanghe, Emmeric
author_facet Gomez-Tames, Jose
Tarnaud, Thomas
Joseph, Wout
Tanghe, Emmeric
contents Objectives: Permissible limits have been established by international guidelines and standards for human protection to electromagnetic field exposure to prevent adverse health effects stemming from electrostimulation in the most sensitive body part. That is the peripheral nervous system (PNS) in the intermediate frequency range (300 Hz to 100 kHz) and the central nervous system (CNS) at lower frequencies. However, there is a need to reevaluate protection limits against CNS electrostimulation in the intermediate frequency range, considering the importance of brain tissues during electromagnetic head exposure. This study aims to derive the level of CNS cortical stimulation to evaluate compliance with existing protection limits. Method: Multi-scale computation modelling was used to evaluate neuron stimulation thresholds by integrating individual neurons into realistic anatomical head models. Five different excitable membrane models within the motor cortex were examined across three human head models, providing the most comprehensive and extensive evaluation to date. Results: Current protection limits are confirmed as conservative, with non-compliance observed in only 0.02% and 2.4% of axons under clamped and sealed boundary conditions, respectively. The study highlights significant intersubject variability (up to 600% mean threshold) and clarifies the influence of neural excitation models on permissible level assessments. Conclusion: Current electric field limits are conservative for CNS electrostimulation in the intermediate frequencies range, but the margin of safety decreases at higher frequencies, warranting further evaluation. Impact: The findings and methodology contribute to the rationale and provide valuable insights for revising electromagnetic safety exposure guidelines.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2502_07565
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Numerical Study on Human Brain Cortical Electrostimulation Assessment During Uniform Magnetic Field Exposure at Intermediate Frequencies
Gomez-Tames, Jose
Tarnaud, Thomas
Joseph, Wout
Tanghe, Emmeric
Medical Physics
Objectives: Permissible limits have been established by international guidelines and standards for human protection to electromagnetic field exposure to prevent adverse health effects stemming from electrostimulation in the most sensitive body part. That is the peripheral nervous system (PNS) in the intermediate frequency range (300 Hz to 100 kHz) and the central nervous system (CNS) at lower frequencies. However, there is a need to reevaluate protection limits against CNS electrostimulation in the intermediate frequency range, considering the importance of brain tissues during electromagnetic head exposure. This study aims to derive the level of CNS cortical stimulation to evaluate compliance with existing protection limits. Method: Multi-scale computation modelling was used to evaluate neuron stimulation thresholds by integrating individual neurons into realistic anatomical head models. Five different excitable membrane models within the motor cortex were examined across three human head models, providing the most comprehensive and extensive evaluation to date. Results: Current protection limits are confirmed as conservative, with non-compliance observed in only 0.02% and 2.4% of axons under clamped and sealed boundary conditions, respectively. The study highlights significant intersubject variability (up to 600% mean threshold) and clarifies the influence of neural excitation models on permissible level assessments. Conclusion: Current electric field limits are conservative for CNS electrostimulation in the intermediate frequencies range, but the margin of safety decreases at higher frequencies, warranting further evaluation. Impact: The findings and methodology contribute to the rationale and provide valuable insights for revising electromagnetic safety exposure guidelines.
title Numerical Study on Human Brain Cortical Electrostimulation Assessment During Uniform Magnetic Field Exposure at Intermediate Frequencies
topic Medical Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.07565