A.I. Malakhov1, V.V. Kapravchuk2, A.M. Hammoud3, A.R. Malikova4, A.A. Lomonos5, I.D. Nabatov6
1 LLC PRIMEKEY (Moscow, Russia)
2,3,4,5,6 FSAEI HE “Bauman Moscow State Technical University” (Moscow, Russia)
2,3,5,6 Petrovsky National Research Center of Surgery (Moscow, Russia)
3 hammoud@bmstu.ru
Low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic therapy (PEMF) is used in rehabilitation as a non-invasive means of influencing peripheral blood circulation, yet all commercially produced devices operate with fixed protocols and no feedback on the physiological state of the patient. This limits individualization of the exposure, whose effect is regulatory and bidirectional and depends on the initial vascular tone.
The aim of the study is to evaluate the sensitivity of rheovasographic (RVG) parameters to low-frequency electromagnetic field exposure as a first step toward an adaptive electromagnetic therapy system with bioimpedance feedback.
A pilot study was carried out with two healthy volunteers across four independent sessions. The rheographic index (RI) changed by up to 111% (32% on average) within a single 20-minute session, whereas heart rate changed by no more than 20%. The direction of the RI change differed between sessions, and the dynamics of the exposed and control limbs were comparable, indicating a predominantly systemic rather than local response. Owing to the small sample size, no statistical testing was performed and the estimates should be regarded as preliminary. The results confirm that bioimpedance indices are sufficiently sensitive to capture the haemodynamic response to PEMF within a single session and support their use as a feedback signal in a closed-loop control of exposure parameters.
Malakhov A.I., Kapravchuk V.V., Hammoud A.M., Malikova A.R., Lomonos A.A., Nabatov I.D. Preliminary studies of the body’s response to low-frequency electromagnetic therapy // Biomedical Radioelectronics. 2026. V. 29. № 6. P. 44−48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18127/j15604136-202606-09
- Funk R.H.W., Knels L., Augstein A., Marquetant R., Dertinger H.F. Potent stimulation of blood flow in fingers of volunteers after local short-term treatment with low-frequency magnetic fields from a novel device. Evid.-Based Complement. Altern. Med. 2014. DOI: 10.1155/2014/543564.
- Peng L. et al. The Effect of Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields on Angiogenesis Bioelectromagnetics. 2021. V. 42. P. 251–270. DOI: 10.1002/bem.22330.
- Bragin D.E., Statom G.L., Hagberg S., Nemoto E.M. Increases in microvascular perfusion and tissue oxygenation via pulsed electromagnetic fields in the healthy rat brain. J. Neurosurg. 2015. DOI: 10.3171/2014.8.JNS132083.
- Mahmoud R.R., Rahmy A.F., Ibrahim M.G., Farghaly A.A. Effect of pulsed electromagnetic field on walking capacity in patients with peripheral arterial disease. Fizjoterapia Polska. 2021.
- Kulchitskaya D.B. et al. High-Intensity Pulsed Magnetotherapy in the Rehabilitation of Patients with Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Polyneuropathy. Vestnik Vosstanovit. Med. 2023. DOI: 10.38025/2078-1962-2023-22-5-72-82.
- Tikhomirov A., Kapravchuk V., Briko A., Malakhov A., Kobelev A., Hammoud A. Evaluation of the Effect of Low-frequency Electromagnetic Fields on Muscle Recovery During the Training Process: a Pilot Study. In Proc. 2022 Ural-Siberian Conf. Biomed. Eng. Radioelectron. Inf. Technol. (USBEREIT). IEEE. 2022. P. 082–085.
- Kwan R.L.-C. et al. Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy promotes healing and microcirculation of chronic diabetic foot ulcers. Adv. Skin Wound Care. 2015. DOI: 10.1097/01.ASW.0000462012.58911.53.
- Hammoud A. et al. Multi-channel bioimpedance system for detecting vascular tone in human limbs: An approach. Sensors. 2022. V. 22. № 1. P. 138, DOI: 10.3390/s22010138.
- Anand G., Yu Y., Lowe A., Kalra A. Bioimpedance analysis as a tool for hemodynamic monitoring: Overview, methods and challenges. Physiol. Meas. 2021. DOI: 10.1088/1361-6579/abe80e.
- Stewart G. M., Wheatley-Guy C. M., Johnson B.D., Shen W.K., Kim C.-H. Impact of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy on vascular function and blood pressure in hypertensive individuals. J. Clin. Hypertens. 2020. DOI: 10.1111/jch.13877.
- Langer P. et al. Respiratory-induced hemodynamic changes measured by whole-body multichannel impedance plethysmography. Physiol. Res. 2018. DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.933778.
- Liu B., Hu C., Bao P. Precision TMS through the integration of neuroimaging and machine learning: optimizing stimulation targets for personalized treatment. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 2025. DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1682852.

