Radiofrequency signal affects alpha band in resting electroencephalogram

Q: How many people participated in the study?

The study recorded EEG data from 26 healthy young subjects.

Q: What brain activity measure did researchers examine?

Researchers calculated spectral power of EEG rhythms for the alpha band, defined as 8 to 12 Hz.

Q: Did the effect on alpha band activity last after exposure ended?

The decrease in alpha band spectral power persisted in the postexposure session.

Q: Could cortisol or caffeine explain the EEG changes observed?

No significant changes were detected in salivary cortisol and caffeine between the sham and exposure sessions.

Q: What study design was used to compare sham and real exposure?

The study used a double-blind, counterbalanced, crossover design.

Bioeffects Seen

Ghosn R, Yahia-Cherif L, Hugueville L, Ducorps A, Lemaréchal JD, Thuróczy G, de Seze R, Selmaoui B · 2015

View Original Abstract

RF electromagnetic field exposure was associated with a statistically significant decrease in alpha band brain activity during eyes-closed rest.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers recorded resting EEG in 26 healthy young subjects under sham and real RF exposure conditions in a double-blind, counterbalanced, crossover design. Compared with the sham session, the exposure session showed a statistically significant decrease of alpha band spectral power during the closed-eyes condition. This effect persisted in the postexposure session, and no significant changes were detected in electrode impedance, salivary cortisol, or caffeine between conditions.

Why This Matters

The researchers controlled for factors known to affect the alpha band, including electrode impedance, salivary cortisol, and caffeine. Cortisol was assessed from saliva samples collected before and after the study, using ELISA, while caffeine was measured by HPLC. The results suggest that GSM-EMFs of a mobile phone affect the alpha band within spectral power of resting human EEG.

Exposure Details

SAR: 0.49 , 0.70, 0.93 W/kg
Source/Device: GSM mobile phone 900 MHz
Exposure Duration: 26 min

Exposure Context

This study used 0.49 , 0.70, 0.93 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):

1.2x 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 aim of the present work was to investigate the effects of the radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on human resting EEG with a control of some parameters that are known to affect alpha band, such as electrode impedance, salivary cortisol, and caffeine.

Eyes-open and eyes-closed resting EEG data were recorded in 26 healthy young subjects under two cond...

Compared with the sham session, the exposure session showed a statistically significant (P < 0.0001)...

These results suggest that GSM-EMFs of a mobile phone affect the alpha band within spectral power of resting human EEG

Cite This Study

Ghosn R, Yahia-Cherif L, Hugueville L, Ducorps A, Lemaréchal JD, Thuróczy G, de Seze R, Selmaoui B (2015). Radiofrequency signal affects alpha band in resting electroencephalogram J Neurophysiol. 113(7):2753-2759, 2015.

Show BibTeX

@article{r_2015_radiofrequency_signal_affects_alpha_103,
  author = {Ghosn R and Yahia-Cherif L and Hugueville L and Ducorps A and Lemaréchal JD and Thuróczy G and de Seze R and Selmaoui B},
  title = {Radiofrequency signal affects alpha band in resting electroencephalogram},
  year = {2015},
  doi = {10.1152/jn.00765.2014},
  url = {https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/jn.00765.2014},
}

DOI: 10.1152/jn.00765.2014