Sleep EEG alterations: effects of pulsed magnetic fields versus pulse‐modulated radio frequency electromagnetic fields
Schmid MR, Murbach M, Lustenberger C, Maire M, Kuster N, Achermann P, Loughran SP · 2012
View Original AbstractCell phone-level radiation altered brain wave patterns throughout the night after just 30 minutes of exposure at legal safety limits.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed 25 healthy men to cell phone-level radio frequency radiation (900 MHz) for 30 minutes before sleep and monitored their brain waves throughout the night. They found that RF exposure altered brain activity patterns during both deep sleep and REM sleep, increasing certain frequencies and changing the normal rhythm of sleep-related brain waves. The study demonstrates that wireless signals can measurably affect brain physiology even after the exposure ends.
Why This Matters
This research adds important evidence to our understanding of how wireless radiation affects the brain during one of our most vulnerable states - sleep. The exposure level used (SAR of 2 W/kg) is at the legal safety limit for cell phones, meaning millions of people experience similar exposures daily when holding phones to their heads. What makes this study particularly significant is its rigorous design: double-blind, crossover methodology with objective EEG measurements rather than subjective sleep reports. The fact that brain wave patterns remained altered throughout the entire night following just 30 minutes of exposure suggests our brains don't simply 'recover' once the RF source is removed. This challenges the prevailing assumption that non-thermal RF effects are temporary or insignificant, and supports growing concerns about keeping wireless devices in bedrooms overnight.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 2 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 30 min
Exposure Context
This study used 2 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 5x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
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 Details
The current study aimed: (i) to determine if modulation components above 20 Hz, in combination with radio frequency, are necessary to alter the electroencephalogram; and (ii) to test the demodulation hypothesis, if the same effects occur after magnetic field exposure with the same pulse sequence used in the pulse‐modulated radio frequency exposure.
In a randomized double‐blind crossover design, 25 young healthy men were exposed at weekly intervals...
Radio frequency exposure increased electroencephalogram power in the spindle frequency range. Furthe...
Show BibTeX
@article{mr_2012_sleep_eeg_alterations_effects_179,
author = {Schmid MR and Murbach M and Lustenberger C and Maire M and Kuster N and Achermann P and Loughran SP},
title = {Sleep EEG alterations: effects of pulsed magnetic fields versus pulse‐modulated radio frequency electromagnetic fields},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2869.2012.01025.x},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2012.01025.x},
}