RF Safe

Early-Life Exposure to Pulsed LTE (4G) Radiofrequency Fields Causes Persistent Changes in Activity and

2019 · Mixed · Low evidence

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MixedLow evidencePaper 1701

Early-life exposure to pulsed LTE 1,846 MHz downlink signals produced significant, SAR-dependent changes in offspring behavior measured at 12–28 weeks of age. Compared with sham controls, 0.5 W/kg decreased drinking frequency and distance moved, while 1 W/kg …

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2019
Study typeanimal
Reported directionMixed
Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Early-Life Exposure to Pulsed LTE (4G) Radiofrequency Fields Causes Persistent Changes in Activity and Behavior in C57BL/6 J Mice Broom KA, Findlay R, Addison DS, Goiceanu C, Sienkiewicz Z. Early-Life Exposure to Pulsed LTE Radiofrequency Fields Causes Persistent Changes in Activity and Behavior in C57BL/6 J Mice. Bioelectromagnetics. 2019 Sep 15. doi: 10.1002/bem.22217. Abstract Despite much research, gaps remain in knowledge about the potential health effects of exposure to radiofrequency (RF) fields. This study investigated the effects of early-life exposure to pulsed long term evolution (LTE) 1,846 MHz downlink signals on innate mouse behavior. Animals were exposed for 30 min/day, 5 days/week at a whole-body average specific energy absorption rate (SAR) of 0.5 or 1 W/kg from late pregnancy (gestation day 13.5) to weaning (postnatal day 21). A behavioral tracking system measured locomotor, drinking, and feeding behavior in the home cage from 12 to 28 weeks of age. The exposure caused significant effects on both appetitive behaviors and activity of offspring that depended on the SAR. Compared with sham-exposed controls, exposure at 0.5 W/kg significantly decreased drinking frequency (P ≤ 0.000) and significantly decreased distance moved (P ≤ 0.001). In contrast, exposure at 1 W/kg significantly increased drinking frequency (P ≤ 0.001) and significantly increased moving duration (P ≤ 0.005). In the absence of other plausible explanations, it is concluded that repeated exposure to low-level RF fields in early life may have a persistent and long-term effect on adult behavior. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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 typeanimal
Effect directionmixed
PopulationC57BL/6 J mice (offspring exposed from late pregnancy to weaning)
Sample sizeNot supplied
ExposureRF · 1846 MHz · 30 min/day, 5 days/week; from gestation day 13.5 to postnatal day 21
Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 78% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Early-life exposure to pulsed LTE 1,846 MHz downlink signals produced significant, SAR-dependent changes in offspring behavior measured at 12–28 weeks of age. Compared with sham controls, 0.5 W/kg decreased drinking frequency and distance moved, while 1 W/kg increased drinking frequency and moving duration.

Outcomes measured

  • locomotor activity (distance moved, moving duration)
  • drinking behavior (drinking frequency)
  • feeding behavior (appetitive behaviors; feeding mentioned)

Limitations

  • Sample size not reported in provided abstract
  • Only mouse behavioral outcomes assessed; no human data
  • Exposure limited to specific LTE signal (1,846 MHz downlink) and two SAR levels
  • Mechanisms and potential confounders not detailed in provided abstract
View raw extracted JSON
{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "LTE (4G) downlink signal",
    "frequency_mhz": 1846,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "30 min/day, 5 days/week; from gestation day 13.5 to postnatal day 21"
  },
  "population": "C57BL/6 J mice (offspring exposed from late pregnancy to weaning)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "locomotor activity (distance moved, moving duration)",
    "drinking behavior (drinking frequency)",
    "feeding behavior (appetitive behaviors; feeding mentioned)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Early-life exposure to pulsed LTE 1,846 MHz downlink signals produced significant, SAR-dependent changes in offspring behavior measured at 12–28 weeks of age. Compared with sham controls, 0.5 W/kg decreased drinking frequency and distance moved, while 1 W/kg increased drinking frequency and moving duration.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "Sample size not reported in provided abstract",
    "Only mouse behavioral outcomes assessed; no human data",
    "Exposure limited to specific LTE signal (1,846 MHz downlink) and two SAR levels",
    "Mechanisms and potential confounders not detailed in provided abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.78,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "LTE",
    "4G",
    "radiofrequency",
    "pulsed RF",
    "early-life exposure",
    "gestation",
    "weaning",
    "SAR",
    "mouse behavior",
    "locomotor activity",
    "drinking behavior",
    "feeding behavior"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": []
}
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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: 10.1002/bem.22217
PubMed: Not supplied

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