NEUROCHEMICAL EFFECTS OF STATIC MAGNETIC-FIELD EXPOSURE

BACKGROUND There has been considerable interest in both the lay and sc ientific media concerning the putative effects of exposure to electrom agnetic fields. An assessment of the effects of static magnet exposure on neurochemistry was undertaken to determine potential risks to pati ents and staff involved with magnetic resonance imaging and spectrosco py. METHODS One set of rats were exposed to weak static fields (800 ga uss [G]) in an otherwise normal laboratory surrounding. Another set of rats were exposed to 7-Tesla fields, both with suitable controls. RES ULTS Exposure of rats (n = 8) to weak static fields for periods betwee n 12 hours and 8 days produced no significant change in nighttime pine al or serum melatonin levels, as compared to controls, nor did it sign ificantly influence levels of pontine medullary 5-hydroxytryptamine [5 -HT] and hypothalamic 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid [5-HIAA]. Placing rat s in a 7-Tesla MRI magnet for 45 minutes produced similar results. CON CLUSIONS These experiments suggest that daily light/dark cycle has muc h greater influence on levels of melatonin, catecholamines, serotonin, or their metabolites than does exposure to a static magnetic field.