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Investigation of higher‐order cognitive functions during exposure to a high static magnetic field
Author(s) -
Lepsien Jöran,
Müller Karsten,
von Cramon D. Yves,
Möller Harald E.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.23727
Subject(s) - magnetostatics , cognition , magnetic field , magnetic resonance imaging , cognitive test , session (web analytics) , statistical analysis , task (project management) , field (mathematics) , psychology , nuclear magnetic resonance , computer science , physics , medicine , statistics , mathematics , neuroscience , radiology , engineering , systems engineering , quantum mechanics , world wide web , pure mathematics
Purpose: To test for potential changes in higher‐order cognitive processes related to the exposure to a high static magnetic field. Materials and Methods: Twenty‐four healthy volunteers participated in two experimental sessions inside a 3 Tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) magnet. During one session the magnetic field was ramped down. The tasks consisted of six well‐established paradigms probing a variety of cognitive functions. Reaction times (RT) and accuracies (AC) were recorded for statistical analysis. Results: The overall performance was very similar in both sessions. Strong task‐specific effects (all P < 0.006) were consistent with previously published results. Direct comparisons of task‐specific effects between the two sessions (magnetic field on or off) remained insignificance for all paradigms (RT: all P > 0.196; AC: all P > 0.17; no corrections for multiple comparisons). Conclusion: The results did not indicate any apparent safety concerns with respect to cognitive performance in a static magnetic field of a typical whole‐body magnet. In addition, comparisons of cognitive effects from testing situations with and without exposure to high static magnetic fields can be considered valid. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;36:835–840. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.