Abstract
Background: International agencies recognize the lack of knowledge to further establish standards and guidelines to protect the workers and the public from extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF). In that regard, postural control has been proposed as a biomarker of potential adverse effects in humans. Considering its crucial role in postural control and its specific neurophysiological characteristics, the vestibular system emerges as an ELF-MF likely target. However, postural modulation to vestibular ELF-MF exposure remains inconclusive. Previous studies led us to investigate stimulation orientation and point of application to clarify the ELF-MF impact on balance in humans. Objectives: This research aimed to investigate the acute postural impact of lateral vestibular-specific ELF-MF stimulations. Methods: Postural control of thirty eight healthy participants was analyzed with lateral vestibular-specific ELF-MF stimulations ranging from 20 Hz to 160 Hz, up to 142 T/s and vestibular electrical stimulations at the same frequencies. Both spatial orientation and quantity of movement variables were used to investigate postural modulations. Results: Despite a conclusive positive control effect, no significant effects of ELF-MF and alternating current stimulation exposures were found regardless of frequency conditions. Conclusions: Although important electric fields were generated, no postural modulation was found. However, at these frequencies, the potential vestibular activation did not translate into functional postural sway but might be observed with reflexive vestibular outcomes.
Highlights
The generation, distribution, and use of alternating current (AC) are ubiquitous in modern societies, exposing the public to 50/60 Hz Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic fields (ELF-MF < 300 Hz)
We previously argued that the top-down orientation of our fields in regards to hair cells’ orientation was not optimal for their modulation and that lateral field orientation could be better [22]
We did not find postural modulations with our lateral vestibular extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) stimulations, which is consistent with the finding from our strong entire head top-down ELF-MF stimulation study [Bouisset et al, 2020]
Summary
The generation, distribution, and use of alternating current (AC) are ubiquitous in modern societies, exposing the public to 50/60 Hz Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic fields (ELF-MF < 300 Hz). According to Faraday’s law of induction, changing magnetic flux density over time (dB/dt, measured in T/s) induces Electric Fields (E-Fields) and currents within conductors such as the human body In this context, answering health and safety concerns to protect workers and. Methods: Postural control of thirty eight healthy participants was analyzed with lateral vestibular-specific ELF-MF stimulations ranging from 20 Hz to 160 Hz, up to 142 T/s and vestibular electrical stimulations at the same frequencies. Both spatial orientation and quantity of movement variables were used to investigate postural modulations. At these frequencies, the potential vestibular activation did not translate into functional postural sway but might be observed with reflexive vestibular outcomes
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