Electromagnetic fields, such as those from mobile phones, alter regional cerebral blood flow and sleep and waking EEG.
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2002-12-04
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Abstract
Usage of mobile phones is rapidly increasing but there is limited data on the possible effects of electromagnetic field EMF exposure on brain physiology We investigated the effect of EMF vs sham control exposure on waking regional cerebral blood flow rCBF and on waking and sleep electroencephalogram EEG in humans In Experiment 1 positron emission tomography PET scans were taken after unilateral head exposure to 30 min pulse modulated 900 MHz electromagnetic field pm EMF In Experiment 2 night time sleep was polysomnographically recorded after EMF exposure Pulse modulated EMF exposure increased relative rCBF in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex ipsilateral to exposure Also pm EMF exposure enhanced EEG power in the alpha frequency range prior to sleep onset and in the spindle frequency range during stage 2 sleep Exposure to EMF without pulse modulation did not enhance power in the waking or sleep EEG We previously observed EMF effects on the sleep EEG A A Borb ly R Huber T Graf B Fuchs E Gallmann and P Achermann Neurosci Lett 1999 275 207 210 R Huber T Graf K A Cote L Wittmann E Gallmann D Matter J Schuderer N Kuster A A Borb ly and P Achermann Neuroreport 2000 11 3321 3325 but the basis for these effects was unknown The present results show for the first time that 1 pm EMF alters waking rCBF and 2 pulse modulation of EMF is necessary to induce waking and sleep EEG changes Pulse modulated EMF exposure may provide a new non invasive method for modifying brain function for experimental diagnostic and therapeutic purposes