Abstract

Overview

Electric fields from both extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) and alternating current (AC) stimulations impact human neurophysiology. Like retinal photoreceptors, vestibular hair cells are graded potential cells that are sensitive to electric fields.

Findings

• Electrophosphene and magnetophosphene literature show different impacts of AC and ELF-MF on vestibular hair cells.
• AC modulates the vestibular system more globally, while lateral ELF-MF stimulations could be more utricular specific.
• Investigation was conducted using a subjective visual vertical (SVV) paradigm to study the effects of both stimulation modalities.
• For similar levels of SVV precision, the ELF-MF condition required more time to adjust SVV, and SVV variability was larger compared to AC vestibular-specific stimulations.

Conclusion

This study highlights subtle differences between AC and ELF-MF vestibular stimulations, underlines a potential utricular contribution, and draws attention to implications for international exposure guidelines and standards, suggesting possible health risks associated with ELF-MF.