FDTD analysis of spinal cord response to plane wave incidence

This paper studies the modeling of the human spinal cord structure as a receptor for an incident electromagnetic field (EMF), motivated by its linear, conductive, antenna-like properties. The electrical modeling of the human spinal cord is very important in applications such as spinal cord stimulation (SCS), which is used in the management of chronic pain. Towards this end, accurate models have been developed (see Wesselink, W.A. et al., 1998; Struijk, J.J. et al., 1993), which characterize the spinal cord and surrounding anatomical structures as a volume conductor. A concentric cylindrical layer model for the spinal cord structure is employed, and FDTD analysis carried out for an incident plane wave. This study and the development of further accurate models are important in understanding the effects of EMF on the human system, and have the potential for future non-invasive neural diagnosis and therapy (see Thuery, J., 1992).