Impact of Magnetic Field on Pressures of Programmable Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts: An Experimental Study.

Aim: To investigate whether programmable cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunts are influenced by exposure to the magnetic field and to compare the effects of magnetic field in 4 different brands of programmable CSF shunts.
Material and Methods: This experimental study was performed in the laboratory using a novel design of magnetic field. Four types of programmable CSF shunts (Miethke®, Medtronic®, Sophysa® and Codman®Hakim®) were exposed to the magnetic field generated by an apparatus consisting of Helmholtz coil for 5 minutes. In every CSF shunt, initial pressures were adjusted to 110 mm H2O and pressures after exposure to magnetic field were noted. These measurements were implemented at frequencies of 5 Hz, 20 Hz, 30 Hz, 40 Hz, 60 Hz and 80 Hz. In each type, three shunts were utilized and evaluations were made twice for every shunt.
Results: At 5, 30, 40 and 60 Hz, Groups 1, 2 and 3 had significantly higher average pressures than Group 4. At 20 and 80 Hz, Groups 1 and 2 had notably different pressure values than Groups 3 and 4. Group 3 displayed the highest pressure, while Group 4 demonstrated the lowest pressure.
Conclusion: Exposure to magnetic fields may affect the pressures of programmable CSF shunts. However, further controlled, clinical trials are warranted to elucidate the in-vivo effects of magnetic field exposure.