Study type: Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Electromagnetic fields and EEG spiking rate in patients with focal epilepsy med./bio.

Published in: Clin Neurophysiol 2015; 126 (4): 659-666

Aim of study (acc. to author)

The hypothesis should be tested that an acute exposure of epileptic patients to a 902.4 MHz electromagnetic field from a mobile phone might influence the EEG spiking rate.

Background/further details

Preceding studies indicated an increased cortical excitability and inter-hemispheric connectivity caused radiofrequency exposure, which led to the hypothesis of this study. In 12 volunteers with focal epilepsy and lateralized hemispheric spiking, an EEG was recorded both under real and sham exposure conditions separated by 1 week.

Endpoint

Exposure

Exposure Parameters
Exposure 1: 902.4 MHz
Modulation type: pulsed
Exposure duration: continuous for 45 min

Exposure 1

Main characteristics
Frequency 902.4 MHz
Type
Exposure duration continuous for 45 min
Modulation
Modulation type pulsed
Repetition frequency 217 Hz
Additional info

the signal was additionally pulsed with a frequency of 8.33 Hz

Exposure setup
Exposure source
Distance between exposed object and exposure source 1.5 cm
Setup a mobile phone was positioned on the left and on the right side of the head, respectively, with the help of a modified helmet; during exposure, the active phone was localized on the side of the head where the patient had the epileptic focus and the other one was deactivated
Sham exposure A sham exposure was conducted.
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
power 0.25 W mean - - -
power 2 W peak value - - -
SAR 0.5 W/kg maximum measured and calculated - -

Reference articles

Exposed system:

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

Investigated system:
Investigated organ system:
Time of investigation:
  • before exposure
  • during exposure
  • after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Neither the spiking rate nor the risk of incoming seizures was significantly different between expoure and sham exposure, i.e. the clinical status of the patients was not influenced. However, a significant increase of gamma wave spectral power and of inter-hemispheric coherence for beta wave rhythms was found in exposed patients compared to sham exposure.
The authors conclude that the results do not indicate any negative effects of an acute exposure of epileptic patients to a 902.4 MHz electromagnetic field from a mobile phone.

Study character:

Study funded by

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