Abstract
Magnetic fields switching at kilohertz frequencies induce electric fields in the body that can cause peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS). Magnetically induced PNS, i.e. magnetostimulation, has been extensively studied below 10 kHz. It is widely characterized using a hyperbolic strength-duration curve (SDC), where the PNS thresholds monotonically decrease with frequency. The very few studies performed at higher frequencies found significant deviations from the hyperbolic SDC above ~ 25 kHz, however, those measurements are sparse and show large variability. We fill the gap in the data by measuring PNS in the head of 8 volunteers using a solenoidal coil at 16 frequencies between 200 Hz and 88.1 kHz. Contrary to the hyperbolic SDC, PNS thresholds did not decrease monotonically with frequency, but reached a minimum ~ 25 kHz. The thresholds then increased by 39% from 25 kHz to 88.1 kHz on average across subjects. Our measurements can be used for guidance and validation of neurodynamic models and to inform PNS limits of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) gradient coils and magnetic particle imaging (MPI) systems. The observed deviation of the experimentally measured thresholds from the hyperbolic SDC calls for further study of the underlying biological mechanisms of magnetostimulation beyond 25 kHz.