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Deep Brain Stimulation Safety: MRI and Other Electromagnetic Interactions

  • Chapter
Deep Brain Stimulation in Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders

Part of the book series: Current Clinical Neurology ((CCNEU))

Abstract

The potential for interaction between medical implants and electromagnetic (EM) energy generated by devices in the patient’s environment has long been a safety concern for health care professionals. The magnitude and subsequent effect of such an interaction will depend on the strength of the EM field as well as the susceptibility and location of the device. For most implants, particularly those that are passive in nature (e.g., aneurysm clips, stents), newer materials and manufacturing techniques have led to dramatic improvements in the susceptibility of implants. The situation is more complex, however, for active implants like those used in cardiac or neurostimulation therapy, where the electronic, conductive, and typically elongated nature of the implant increases its overall susceptibility to EM fields. To date, reported interactions for patients with implanted deep brain stimulation (DBS) systems have ranged from inadvertent switching of the pulse generators between the on and off state to the induction of permanent, neurological deficit. While the total number of documented adverse events over the past decade is relatively small in comparison to the 30,000 plus patient implants performed to date, patients and physicians need to be aware of the potential sources and effects of EM interactions. This chapter presents an overview of those sources and their potential impact on the DBS hardware and subsequently the patient, with particular emphasis on the MRI environment and recent data on MRI-related heating.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosciences, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Kenneth B. Baker

  2. Department of Radiology, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Michael D. Phillips

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  1. Kenneth B. Baker
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Daniel Tarsy MD  & Daniel Tarsy MD  & 

  2. Neuromodulation Research Center, Lerner Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Jerrold L. Vitek MD, PhD

  3. Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Philip A. Starr MD, PhD

  4. Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Michael S. Okun MD

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Baker, K.B., Phillips, M.D. (2008). Deep Brain Stimulation Safety: MRI and Other Electromagnetic Interactions . In: Tarsy, D., Vitek, J.L., Starr, P.A., Okun, M.S. (eds) Deep Brain Stimulation in Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders. Current Clinical Neurology. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-360-8_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-360-8_22

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