Effect of a 0.5-T static magnetic field on conduction in guinea pig spinal cord

Compound-evoked potentials were recorded from excised adult guinea pig spinal cords before, during, and following exposure to a 0.5-T static magnetic field (SMF). There was no change in response latency during exposure but there was a small, statistically significant, decrease in amplitude. Maximum effect was evident 1 to 2 min after the field was turned on with return to baseline within 1 min after the field was turned off. These results may be explained by a conduction block in the small axon subpopulation due to the effect of static magnetic fields on voltage-activated sodium channels. The relative selectivity of the field is believed to occur because of the relatively greater number of sodium channels present in smaller axons.