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The effect of local extremely low frequency magnetic field on student sleepiness.

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Ayoobi F, Shamsizadeh A, Shafiei SA. · 2017

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Exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields was associated with a significant increase in minimum reaction time, while sleepiness scores showed no significant difference.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

This study investigated the impact of local extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) on sleep and drowsiness in healthy young adults. Minimum reaction time after exposure increased significantly compared to before exposure (P = 0.03), while the mean of the SSS scores was no different compared to that before exposure.

Why This Matters

The trial used a crossover design, meaning participants experienced both the real ELF-MF exposure and a sham operation, allowing within-person comparisons. Researchers applied the magnetic field locally to the skull at 200 microTesla for a duration of 3 minutes at frequencies of 10, 14 and 18 Hz. The researchers suggested that further studies using larger sample sizes are recommended in order to reach better interpretations of the effects of ELF-MF on sleepiness in young people.

Exposure Details

Magnetic Field
0.2 mT
Source/Device
10, 14 and 18 Hz
Exposure Duration
3 minutes

Exposure Context

This study used 0.2 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: 0.2 mTExtreme Concern - 5 mGFCC Limit - 2,000 mGEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)This level is 1 times the FCC limit
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 18 Hz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 18 HzPower lines50/60 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

The current study aimed to investigate the impact of local extremely low frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) on sleep and drowsiness in healthy young adults.

Sixty-five young adults (32 males and 31 females, aged 18–24, participated voluntarily in this rando...

Minimum reaction time after exposure to ELF-MF increased compared to that before exposure (P = 0.03)...

The results of this study demonstrated that exposure to ELF-MF may influence reaction time in young healthy people. However, as the results of ESS and SSS were not different between exposure and non-exposure groups, further studies using larger sample sizes are recommended in order to reach better interpretations of the effects of ELF-MF on sleepiness in young people.

Cite This Study
Ayoobi F, Shamsizadeh A, Shafiei SA. (2017). The effect of local extremely low frequency magnetic field on student sleepiness. Neurol Res. 2017 Sep 27:1-6. doi: 10.1080/01616412.2017.1380931.
Show BibTeX
@article{f_2017_the_effect_of_local_599,
  author = {Ayoobi F and Shamsizadeh A and Shafiei SA.},
  title = {The effect of local extremely low frequency magnetic field on student sleepiness.},
  year = {2017},
  doi = {10.1080/01616412.2017.1380931},
  url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01616412.2017.1380931},
}
DOI: 10.1080/01616412.2017.1380931

Cited By (9 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

The study applied an extremely low frequency magnetic field of 200 microTesla at frequencies of 10, 14 and 18 Hz to the skull.
There was no significant difference for males or females between the exposure and sham groups, and the mean of the SSS scores was no different compared to that before exposure.
Minimum reaction time after exposure to ELF-MF increased compared to that before exposure (P = 0.03), while it was not significant for the sham group (P = 0.63).
Sixty-five young adults aged 18 to 24 participated voluntarily in a randomized crossover clinical trial.
The researchers concluded that exposure to ELF-MF may influence reaction time in young healthy people.