Measurement of electrical current density distribution within the tissues of the head by magnetic resonance imaging.

Images of the electrical current distribution in an intact piglet head, measured by MRI, are presented for the first time. Remarkable differences in the distribution of the electrical current between live and post mortem studies are found. After death, there is a decrease of 62% in the current reaching the brain, compared with the situation in the living animal. This reduction is associated with the increase in the brain impedance after death, which agrees with previous in vivo studies.