Effects of A 60 Hz Magnetic Field of Up to 50 milliTesla on Human Tremor and EEG: A Pilot Study.
Davarpanah Jazi S, Modolo J, Baker C, Villard S, Legros A. · 2017
View Original AbstractExtremely high 60 Hz magnetic fields subtly altered brain activity patterns, suggesting nervous system sensitivity to EMF even without obvious symptoms.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed 10 healthy volunteers to 60 Hz magnetic fields up to 50 milliTesla (extremely high levels) while measuring brain activity and hand tremor. They found subtle changes in brain wave patterns related to touch sensation, but no effects on motor control or hand tremor. The study provides preliminary evidence that power-frequency magnetic fields can influence specific brain regions even when they don't cause obvious physical symptoms.
Why This Matters
This pilot study is significant because it examined magnetic field exposures far exceeding what most people encounter daily. To put this in perspective, the highest exposure level tested (50 milliTesla) is roughly 500 times stronger than what you'd experience standing directly under high-voltage power lines. The fact that researchers detected measurable brain changes at these extreme levels suggests our nervous systems are sensitive to electromagnetic fields, even if the effects aren't immediately apparent in motor function. While the sample size was small and the researchers appropriately urge caution in interpreting results, this adds to the growing body of evidence that EMF exposure can influence brain activity in ways we're only beginning to understand.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0 - 50 mG
- Source/Device
- 60 Hz
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
The present pilot study examined possible extremely low frequency (ELF) MF effects on human neuromotor control in general, and physiological postural tremor and electroencephalography (EEG) in particular.
Since the EEG cortical mu-rhythm (8-12 Hz) from the primary motor cortex and physiological tremor ar...
Results showed no significant main effect of MF exposure conditions on any of the analyzed physiolog...
Current findings are to be considered with caution due to the small size of this pilot work, but they provide preliminary insights to international agencies establishing guidelines regarding electromagnetic field exposure with new experimental data acquired in humans exposed to high mT-range MFs.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2017_effects_of_a_60_627,
author = {Davarpanah Jazi S and Modolo J and Baker C and Villard S and Legros A.},
title = {Effects of A 60 Hz Magnetic Field of Up to 50 milliTesla on Human Tremor and EEG: A Pilot Study.},
year = {2017},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29186760/},
}