Couple Electromagnetic and Neuronal Dynamics Simulation of Gradient Coil Switching Induced Nerve Stimulation

Conference poster, 2014

Nerve stimulation by rapidly switching gradient coils is a safety concern in MR. An EM and thermal simulation platform has been coupled with a neuronal dynamics modeling code, to investigate such interactions in realistic anatomical models. A locally temperature dependent variant of the SENN model, commonly employed for safety threshold assessment, has been developed. Modeling of sciatic nerve stimulation by gradient coil switching, considering the impact of RF birdcage coil induced heating, showed that the model anisotropy, the field variation along the nerve and local temperature have a relevant impact that can be studied using the coupled EM-neuron simulation platform.