Effect of mobile phone radiofrequency signal on the alpha rhythm of human waking EEG: A review

2019 · Mixed · Low evidence

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MixedLow evidencePaper 1803

Study snapshot

Publicationmanual · 2019

Study typereview

Reported directionMixed

Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Effect of mobile phone radiofrequency signal on the alpha rhythm of human waking EEG: A review Wallace J, Selmaoui B. Effect of mobile phone radiofrequency signal on the alpha rhythm of human waking EEG: A review. Environmental Research. Published online May 12, 2019. doi.org Abstract In response to the exponential increase in mobile phone use and the resulting increase in exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF), there have been several studies to investigate via electroencephalography (EEG) whether RF-EMF exposure affects brain activity. Data in the literature have shown that exposure to radiofrequency signals modifies the waking EEG with the main effect on the alpha band frequency (8-13 Hz). However, some studies have reported an increase in alpha band power, while others have shown a decrease, and other studies showed no effect on EEG power. Given that changes in the alpha amplitude are associated with attention and some cognitive aspects of human behavior, researchers deemed necessary to look whether alpha rhythm was modulated under RF-EMF exposure. The present review aims at comparing and discussing the main findings obtained so far regarding RF-EMF effects on alpha rhythm of human waking spontaneous EEG, focusing on differences in protocols between studies, which might explain the observed discrepancies and inconclusive results. Excerpts Overview of 30 total selected studies which investigated the effect of the radiofrequency electromagnetic fields on human waking spontaneous EEG ... 47% of studies found a significant modification exclusively of the alpha band, the 30% found a significant modification of the alpha band and other frequency bands (delta, theta, beta and gamma), the 3% (only one study) found an effect on the gamma and beta band, without any effect on the alpha rhythm, the 20% reported no significant effect on the EEG. ... MP-RF [mobile phone - radio frequency] can affect normal brain physiology and that the most consistent effect observed is in the alpha frequency. This effect is also observed after RF-EMF exposure. Some studies on adolescents (two studies included 2G system and one study included 3G system) did not indicate a higher sensitivity of this age group compared to adults. Conversely, four studies with epileptic patients showed an effect on their brain's electrophysiology related to 2G exposure. Previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses indicated that acute MP exposures did not have any cognitive or psychomotor effects (Valentini et al., 2011), with a negligible impact on attention and working memory (Barth et al., 2007). sciencedirect.com

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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 typereview

Effect directionmixed

PopulationHumans (waking EEG studies; includes adults; some adolescent studies; some epileptic patient studies)

Sample sizeNot supplied

ExposureRF

Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Across 30 selected studies, results were inconsistent: some reported increased alpha power, others decreased alpha power, and some no effect. An overview reported 47% of studies found significant modification exclusively in the alpha band, 30% found modification in alpha and other bands, 3% found effects on gamma and beta without alpha effects, and 20% reported no significant EEG effects.

Outcomes measured

Waking spontaneous EEG alpha rhythm (8–13 Hz)
EEG power in other frequency bands (delta, theta, beta, gamma)

Limitations

Review notes discrepancies and inconclusive results across studies, potentially due to protocol differences between studies.
No specific exposure parameters (e.g., frequency, SAR, duration) are provided in the abstract.

View raw extracted JSON

{
  "study_type": "review",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "Humans (waking EEG studies; includes adults; some adolescent studies; some epileptic patient studies)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Waking spontaneous EEG alpha rhythm (8–13 Hz)",
    "EEG power in other frequency bands (delta, theta, beta, gamma)"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Across 30 selected studies, results were inconsistent: some reported increased alpha power, others decreased alpha power, and some no effect. An overview reported 47% of studies found significant modification exclusively in the alpha band, 30% found modification in alpha and other bands, 3% found effects on gamma and beta without alpha effects, and 20% reported no significant EEG effects.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "Review notes discrepancies and inconclusive results across studies, potentially due to protocol differences between studies.",
    "No specific exposure parameters (e.g., frequency, SAR, duration) are provided in the abstract."
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "mobile phone",
    "radiofrequency",
    "RF-EMF",
    "EEG",
    "alpha rhythm",
    "alpha band power",
    "waking EEG",
    "2G",
    "3G",
    "epilepsy",
    "adolescents"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "who-icnirp",
      "weight": 0.2,
      "reason": "Discusses RF-EMF effects literature and references prior systematic reviews/meta-analyses on cognitive effects; no direct policy content stated."
    }
  ]
}

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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: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.05.016
PubMed: Not supplied

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