Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Analysis of fractal dimension of EEG signals under mobile phone radiation med./bio.

By: Smitha CK, Narayana NK

Published in: 2015 IEEE International Conference on Signal Processing, Informatics, Communication and Energy Systems (SPICES), Kozhikode, India. IEEE, 2015: pp. 1-5; ISBN 978-1-4799-1821-8

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Aim of study (acc. to author)

The effects of exposure of subjects to the electromagnetic field of mobile phones on the brain activity should be investigated.

Background/further details

The EEG of 35 healthy subjects was recorded during 5 consecutive trials of 5 minutes with different exposure conditions, respectively: 1) resting EEG without exposure, 2) mobile phone 1 placed at right ear, 3) mobile phone 1 placed at vertex (Cz position), 4) mobile phone 2 placed at right ear and 5) mobile phone 2 placed at vertex. Trial 1 was used as the control condition, trials 2-5 were the exposure conditions.

Endpoint

effects on the neurological system: brain activity in the EEG

Exposure

- mobile communications
- mobile phone

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: RF (≥ 10 MHz) Exposure duration: continuous for 5 minutes/position/phone (20 minutes in total)	-

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	RF (≥ 10 MHz)
Type	electromagnetic field
Exposure duration	continuous for 5 minutes/position/phone (20 minutes in total)

Exposure setup

Exposure source	cellular phone
Setup	two different phones (remark EMF-Portal: no further information given) were used for exposure at two different skull positions (right ear and vertex); during the procedure, the volunteers were instructed to lie down and relax and the phones were switched on during exposure (in talking mode); the volunteers were unaware of the instant of switching the mobile phones

Parameters

No parameters are specified for this exposure.

Exposed system:

human
partial body: right ear, vertex (Cz position)

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

effects on the neurological system: brain activity (alpha waves, beta waves, gamma waves, delta waves, theta waves and total signal in an EEG with 21 electrodes, fractal dimension analysis)

Investigated system:

investigation on living organism

Investigated organ system:

brain/CNS

Time of investigation:

before exposure
during exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Significant changes in the total EEG during the exposure conditions compared to the control condition were found at two electrodes only. Regarding the individual brain waves, three electrodes showed significant changes solely in the gamma wave band during the exposure conditions compared to the control condition.
(Remark EMF-Portal: the different mobile phones and exposure positions were not analyzed individually.)
The authors conclude that exposure of subjects to the electromagnetic field of mobile phones has no effect on the brain activity.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study

Study funded by

not stated/no funding

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