Pulsed radio-frequency electromagnetic fields: dose-dependent effects on sleep, the sleep EEG and cognitive performance.
Regel SJ, Tinguely G, Schuderer J, Adam M, Kuster N, Landolt HP, Achermann P · 2007
View Original AbstractHigher cell phone radiation intensity produces stronger effects on brain activity during sleep and cognitive performance.
Plain English Summary
Swiss researchers exposed 15 men to cell phone-like radiation at different intensities for 30 minutes before sleep, then monitored their brain activity and cognitive performance. They found that stronger radiation caused measurable changes in brain wave patterns during sleep and slowed reaction times on memory tasks. This demonstrates a dose-response relationship, meaning higher radiation exposure produces more pronounced effects on brain function.
Why This Matters
This study provides crucial evidence that EMF effects on the brain aren't just present or absent - they scale with exposure intensity. The researchers used SAR levels of 0.2 and 5 W/kg, where the higher level exceeds current regulatory limits for cell phones (typically 1.6-2 W/kg in most countries). What makes this research particularly significant is the dose-response relationship it establishes. The science demonstrates that as EMF intensity increases, so do the biological effects on sleep brain waves and cognitive performance. The fact that these changes persisted throughout an entire night's sleep suggests the brain doesn't simply 'bounce back' from EMF exposure. This contradicts the prevailing regulatory assumption that only thermal effects matter - these were clearly non-thermal biological responses occurring at levels that don't heat tissue.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.2, 5 W/kg
- Exposure Duration
- 30 min
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
To establish a dose–response relationship between the strength of electromagnetic fields (EMF) and previously reported effects on the brain, we investigated the influence of EMF exposure by varying the signal intensity in three experimental sessions.
The head of 15 healthy male subjects was unilaterally exposed for 30 min prior to sleep to a pulse‐m...
Analysis of the sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) revealed a dose‐dependent increase of power in the ...
In conclusion, evidence is increasing that RF EMF exposure prior to sleep alters brain activity. Our results suggest a dose–response relationship between GSM exposure and its effects on the non‐REM sleep EEG and cognitive performance. Furthermore, the long‐lasting changes in the non‐REM sleep EEG provide additional support for a non‐thermal biological effect of RF EMF exposure.
Show BibTeX
@article{sj_2007_pulsed_radiofrequency_electromagnetic_fields_174,
author = {Regel SJ and Tinguely G and Schuderer J and Adam M and Kuster N and Landolt HP and Achermann P},
title = {Pulsed radio-frequency electromagnetic fields: dose-dependent effects on sleep, the sleep EEG and cognitive performance.},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2869.2007.00603.x},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2007.00603.x},
}