Effects of mobile phone electromagnetic fields on brain waves in healthy volunteers

2023 · Mixed · Moderate evidence

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MixedModerate evidencePaper 352

In a double-blinded crossover design (EMF vs sham), Bayesian analysis provided statistical evidence for an EMF effect on EEG alpha band power density in the eyes-open condition, described as increased alpha activity during EMF exposure.

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2023

Study typerandomized_trial

Reported directionMixed

Evidence ratingModerate

Abstract

Effects of mobile phone electromagnetic fields on brain waves in healthy volunteers van der Meer JN, Eisma YB, Meester R, Jacobs M, Nederveen AJ. Effects of mobile phone electromagnetic fields on brain waves in healthy volunteers. Sci Rep 13, 21758 (2023). doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-48561-z. Abstract The interaction between biological tissue and electromagnetic fields (EMF) is a topic of increasing interest due to the rising prevalence of background EMF in the past decades. Previous studies have attempted to measure the effects of EMF on brainwaves using EEG recordings, but are typically hampered by experimental and environmental factors. In this study, we present a framework for measuring the impact of EMF on EEG while controlling for these factors. A Bayesian statistical approach is employed to provide robust statistical evidence of the observed EMF effects. This study included 32 healthy participants in a double-blinded crossover counterbalanced design. EEG recordings were taken from 63 electrodes across 6 brain regions. Participants underwent a measurement protocol comprising two 18-min sessions with alternating blocks of eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) conditions. Group 1 (n = 16) had EMF during the first session and sham during the second session; group 2 (n = 16) had the opposite. Power spectral density plots were generated for all sessions and brain regions. The Bayesian analysis provided statistical evidence for the presence of an EMF effect in the alpha band power density in the EO condition. This measurement protocol holds potential for future research on the impact of novel transmission protocols. Excerpt In conclusion, our study provides compelling statistical evidence for the occurrence of increased alpha activity during EMF exposure. By carefully addressing confounding variables that posed challenges in earlier studies, we have effectively demonstrated that the observed effect is highly improbable to be an artefact. Moving forward, our research protocol holds promise for investigating the impact of other transmission protocols, such as 5G and 6G, as well as enabling a more comprehensive examination of dose–effect relationships Open access paper: nature.com

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typerandomized_trial

Effect directionmixed

PopulationHealthy volunteers

Sample size32

ExposureRF · Two 18-min sessions with alternating blocks of eyes open and eyes closed; EMF vs sham in a double-blinded crossover counterbalanced design

Evidence strengthModerateConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Outcomes measured

EEG brain waves
Alpha band power density (eyes open condition)
Power spectral density across brain regions

Limitations

EMF exposure parameters (e.g., frequency, SAR) not reported in the provided abstract/metadata
Effect described specifically for alpha band in eyes-open condition; results for other bands/conditions not detailed in the provided abstract
Short-term exposure/measurement sessions only (18 min sessions)

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "randomized_trial",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "Two 18-min sessions with alternating blocks of eyes open and eyes closed; EMF vs sham in a double-blinded crossover counterbalanced design"
  },
  "population": "Healthy volunteers",
  "sample_size": 32,
  "outcomes": [
    "EEG brain waves",
    "Alpha band power density (eyes open condition)",
    "Power spectral density across brain regions"
  ],
  "main_findings": "In a double-blinded crossover design (EMF vs sham), Bayesian analysis provided statistical evidence for an EMF effect on EEG alpha band power density in the eyes-open condition, described as increased alpha activity during EMF exposure.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "EMF exposure parameters (e.g., frequency, SAR) not reported in the provided abstract/metadata",
    "Effect described specifically for alpha band in eyes-open condition; results for other bands/conditions not detailed in the provided abstract",
    "Short-term exposure/measurement sessions only (18 min sessions)"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "moderate",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "mobile phone",
    "electromagnetic fields",
    "RF",
    "EEG",
    "brain waves",
    "alpha band",
    "Bayesian analysis",
    "double-blind",
    "crossover",
    "sham exposure"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "mobile-phones",
      "weight": 0.95,
      "reason": "Study tests mobile phone EMF exposure versus sham and measures EEG outcomes in healthy volunteers."
    }
  ]
}

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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48561-z
PubMed: Not supplied

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