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Evaluating short-term exposure to Wi-Fi signals on students' reaction time, short-term memory and reasoning ability

2019 · No effect · Moderate evidence

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No effectModerate evidencePaper 1756

In 45 student volunteers exposed to Wi-Fi signals in sham and exposure sessions (each 2 hours), there were no statistically significant differences in mean reaction time, short-term memory, or reasoning ability scores between sham and exposure. Reported expos…

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2019
Study typerandomized_trial
Reported directionNo effect
Evidence ratingModerate

Abstract

Evaluating short-term exposure to Wi-Fi signals on students' reaction time, short-term memory and reasoning ability Hosseini MA, Hosseini A, Jarideh S, Argasi H, Shekoohi-Shooli F, Zamani A, Taeb S, Haghani M. Evaluating short- term exposure to Wi-Fi signals on students' reaction time, short-term memory and reasoning ability. Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2019 Jun 28. pii: ncz162. doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncz162. Abstract This study investigated the effect of short-term exposure to Wi-Fi signals on the cognitive functions of the mind. After obtaining permission from the local Ethics Committee of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and approval by the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT2017041233398N1), 45 male and female students from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences volunteered to participate in this study. They were exposed to Wi-Fi signals in two sham and exposure sessions, each for 2 hours. After completion, they took part in reaction time, short- term memory, and reasoning ability tests. After scoring, the data were analysed by SPSS software. In addition, the electric field strength and power density were calculated. The results showed no statistically significant differences between the mean scores of reaction time, short-term memory, and reasoning ability in sham and exposure. Also, the obtained values from the electric field strength and power density (E = 4.1 Vm-1, P = 0.446 Wm-2) were lower than that of threshold values by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Our results can greatly reduce concerns regarding the effects of short-term exposure to Wi- Fi waves on cognitive functions. 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 typerandomized_trial
Effect directionno_effect
PopulationMale and female students from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
Sample size45
ExposureRF · 2 hours (per session); two sessions (sham and exposure)
Evidence strengthModerateConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

In 45 student volunteers exposed to Wi-Fi signals in sham and exposure sessions (each 2 hours), there were no statistically significant differences in mean reaction time, short-term memory, or reasoning ability scores between sham and exposure. Reported exposure metrics were E = 4.1 V/m and P = 0.446 W/m^2, stated to be below ICNIRP threshold values.

Outcomes measured

  • reaction time
  • short-term memory
  • reasoning ability
  • electric field strength
  • power density

Limitations

  • Frequency and SAR not reported in the abstract
  • Short-term exposure only (2-hour sessions)
  • Only students; generalizability to other populations unclear
  • Details of randomization/blinding not described in the abstract
View raw extracted JSON
{
  "study_type": "randomized_trial",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "wi-fi",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "2 hours (per session); two sessions (sham and exposure)"
  },
  "population": "Male and female students from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences",
  "sample_size": 45,
  "outcomes": [
    "reaction time",
    "short-term memory",
    "reasoning ability",
    "electric field strength",
    "power density"
  ],
  "main_findings": "In 45 student volunteers exposed to Wi-Fi signals in sham and exposure sessions (each 2 hours), there were no statistically significant differences in mean reaction time, short-term memory, or reasoning ability scores between sham and exposure. Reported exposure metrics were E = 4.1 V/m and P = 0.446 W/m^2, stated to be below ICNIRP threshold values.",
  "effect_direction": "no_effect",
  "limitations": [
    "Frequency and SAR not reported in the abstract",
    "Short-term exposure only (2-hour sessions)",
    "Only students; generalizability to other populations unclear",
    "Details of randomization/blinding not described in the abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "moderate",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "Wi-Fi",
    "RF exposure",
    "cognitive function",
    "reaction time",
    "short-term memory",
    "reasoning ability",
    "students",
    "sham exposure",
    "ICNIRP",
    "electric field strength",
    "power density"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "school-wi-fi",
      "weight": 0.9,
      "reason": "Study evaluates Wi-Fi exposure effects on students' cognitive performance."
    },
    {
      "slug": "who-icnirp",
      "weight": 0.6,
      "reason": "Abstract explicitly compares measured exposure metrics to ICNIRP threshold values."
    }
  ]
}
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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: 10.1093/rpd/ncz162
PubMed: Not supplied

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