[Bioforum] Magnetic Effects of MRI

[Margaret Glaser]

I was just reading the post on MRI effects in the long-term.  It is  
interesting that there do not seem to be any long-term studies.  It  
would be difficult to say that there is no effect, when there is no  
mechanism (?) for recording any effects and processing the  
information.  Considering how often they are used---not just for  
specific medical purposes, but in studies on basically well people in  
order to learn more about some aspect of human functioning---it would  
seem ethically wrong to continue with no long view.  I don't know how  
many years they have been used, but I believe the intensity and  
frequencies, and perhaps the characteristics of the wave forms have  
changed over the years, so that one might not be sure that what used  
to seem safe, still is.

MRI evolved in an environment in which there was the belief that non- 
ionizing radiation would not hurt you, as long as it was not intense  
enough to burn or cook you.  That view is being seriously challenged  
in a lot of peer-reviewed studies around the world now---especially  
studies done without RF industry money.   A good review of the  
science---several hundred pages worth, but in sections---can be found  
at www.bioinitiative.org.  This was completed in summer of 2007 by an  
international working group of independent researchers and public  
health experts.  Called "The BioInitiative Report," it has been  
having a big impact in Europe and some other parts of the world.  It  
led the European Union this year to issue a resolution concerning the  
need for precaution re RF (radiofrequency radiation), and several  
other countries have weighed in on this, as well.

I'm not sure whether MRI is mentioned in the report.  I think it is  
an area that will be one of the last to be addressed, because of the  
medical benefit that is gained in most cases.  But if you read the  
review of the studies, you will see that all different frequencies  
and intensities  of RF are "whispering" (so to speak) to the body and  
these signals are evoking reactions from the body's cells, affecting  
different processes.  It appears that about 2-3% of the population  
may be more sensitive to RF and EMFs in general, than others.  One of  
the effects that has been seen in several studies to occur at an  
exceedingly low intensity  level is the opening of the blood-brain  
barrier.  This should make us pause, at least, and start looking at  
potential long-term effects from multiple MRI's.  One "established"  
effect, which I heard about from the RF industry people themselves,  
is that some people experience "seasickness" while having an MRI  
(presumably, contrast medium effects were accounted for).  "Don't  
ask, don't tell" is not a good policy when it comes to determining  
whether medical procedures are truly safe in the long-run.