Nerve excitation and recovery processes under strong static magnetic fields

Abstract

The membrane excitation and refractory processes of nerve fibers exposed to strong static magnetic fields of 8 T were studied. Sciatic nerve bundles of frogs were electrically excited by a pair of pulses with varying interpulse intervals, and the compound action potentials were measured under magnetic field exposures. Our experimental results show that the conduction velocity was not affected by 8 T magnetic fields; however, the membrane excitation during the recovery process in the relative refractory period was enhanced by 10% of maximal peak of nerve excitation by magnetic field exposure for 3 h. In this study, the optimal time interval for increased membrane excitation during the recovery process was between 1.0 and 1.1 ms. In other words, membrane excitation during the recovery process in the relative refractory period was affected by the magnetic fields just after Na+ channels were inactivated.