Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 23, 2026
Measuring the Influence of Magnetic Vestibular Stimulation on Nystagmus, Self-Motion Perception, and Cognitive Performance in a 7T MRT
Published on: March 3, 2023
Simultaneous exposure to MRI-related static and low-frequency movement-induced time-varying magnetic fields affects
Lotte E van Nierop1, Pauline Slottje1, Martine van Zandvoort2
1Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Purpose:
This experimental study aims to separate neurocognitive effects resulting from exposure to static magnetic stray fields (SMF) alone and the combination of SMF and low-frequency movement-induced time-varying magnetic fields (TVMF) using a 7 Tesla (T) MRI scanner in stand-by mode.
Methods:
In a double-blind randomized crossover experiment, 36 healthy volunteers underwent four sessions, two exposed conditions, and two corresponding sham conditions. The exposure conditions were in front of the scanner bore and consisted of 1.0 T SMF with or without 2.4 T/s TVMF, induced by standardized head movements before each of the five neurocognitive tasks. These specific tasks were selected because previous experiments showed negative effects of SMF + TVMF exposure on test performance.
Results:
Exposure to SMF in combination with TVMF decreased verbal memory performance significantly and changed visual acuity. Similarly, attention and concentration were negatively affected with borderline significance. Exposure to SMF only did not have significant effects on the performance on any of the tasks.
Conclusion:
Neurocognitive effects were only observed when simultaneously exposed to SMF and TVMF from a 7 T MRI scanner. Therefore, exposure to TVMF seems essential in eliciting the neurocognitive effects in our present study and, presumably, previous experiments.
