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Provocation study of persons with perceived electrical hypersensitivity and controls using magnetic field exposure and recording of electrophysiological characteristics.

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Lyskov E, Sandström M, Mild KH · 2001

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Magnetic field exposure did not affect physiological measures in either people with perceived electromagnetic hypersensitivity or controls, though the groups differed at baseline.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers investigated possible neurophysiological effects of an intermittent 15 sec on/off cycle, 60 Hz, 10 μT magnetic field on patients with perceived electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) and control subjects during rest and a mental arithmetic task. Magnetic field exposure did not affect autonomic system or electroencephalographic variables in either group. EHS patients and controls showed significant differences in heart rate, heart rate spectrum ratio, and electrodermal activity, while EEG characteristics did not differ between groups.

Why This Matters

The study enrolled twenty EHS patients (15 female, 5 male, aged 31–60 years) and twenty volunteers (15 female, 5 male, aged 31–59 years) as a control group. Each participant underwent EEG, visual evoked potentials, electrodermal activity, ECG, and blood pressure recording over a total duration of 40 min, divided into two 10 min rest periods and two 10 min periods of mathematical performance. Magnetic field and sham exposures were presented randomly, resulting in four different conditions: Field-Rest, Sham-Rest, Field-Math, and Sham-Math. The researchers suggested that EHS patients may have a rather distinctive physiological predisposition to sensitivity to physical and psychosocial environmental stressors.

Exposure Details

Magnetic Field
0.01 mT
Source/Device
60 Hz
Exposure Duration
40 min

Exposure Context

This study used 0.01 mT for magnetic fields:

Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.01 mTExtreme Concern - 5 mGFCC Limit - 2,000 mGEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 20 times higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 60 Hz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 60 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

The aim of the present study was to investigate possible neurophysiological effects of intermittent 15 sec on/off cycle, 60 Hz, 10 μT magnetic field exposure on patients with perceived “electromagnetic hypersensitivity” (EHS), and control subjects during rest and performance of a mental arithmetic task.

Twenty participants (15 female, 5 male, 31–60 years old, mean 45.8 ± 0.7 years) were invited from th...

The data showed significant main effects of the Group factor (EHS vs. control subjects) on heart rat...

These data do not indicate that EHS patients or control are affected by low-level 60 Hz magnetic field exposure. However, persons reporting EHS differed from the control subjects in baseline values of investigated physiological characteristics. Perhaps EHS patients have a rather distinctive physiological predisposition to sensitivity to physical and psychosocial environmental stressors.

Cite This Study
Lyskov E, Sandström M, Mild KH (2001). Provocation study of persons with perceived electrical hypersensitivity and controls using magnetic field exposure and recording of electrophysiological characteristics. Bioelectromagnetics. 22(7):457-462, 2001.
Show BibTeX
@article{e_2001_provocation_study_of_persons_497,
  author = {Lyskov E and Sandström M and Mild KH},
  title = {Provocation study of persons with perceived electrical hypersensitivity and controls using magnetic field exposure and recording of electrophysiological characteristics.},
  year = {2001},
  doi = {10.1002/bem.73},
  url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bem.73},
}
DOI: 10.1002/bem.73

Cited By (70 papers)

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Quick Questions About This Study

Magnetic field exposure did not affect autonomic system or electroencephalographic variables in either group.
EHS patients and controls showed significant differences in heart rate, heart rate spectrum ratio, and electrodermal activity, while EEG characteristics did not differ between groups.
The exposure was an intermittent 15 sec on/off cycle, 60 Hz, 10 μT magnetic field.
The data did not indicate that EHS patients or controls were affected by the magnetic field exposure. The researchers suggested EHS patients may have a rather distinctive physiological predisposition to sensitivity to physical and psychosocial environmental stressors.
The total duration of the test was 40 min, divided into two 10 min rest periods and two 10 min periods of mathematical performance, with magnetic field and sham exposures presented randomly.