Article

Resting EEG is affected by exposure to a pulsed ELF magnetic field

  1. Charles M. Cook*,
  2. Alex W. Thomas,
  3. Frank S. Prato

Article first published online: 19 MAR 2004

DOI: 10.1002/bem.10188

Issue

Bioelectromagnetics

Bioelectromagnetics

Volume 25, Issue 3, pages 196–203, April 2004

Additional Information

How to Cite

Cook, C. M., Thomas, A. W. and Prato, F. S. (2004), Resting EEG is affected by exposure to a pulsed ELF magnetic field. Bioelectromagnetics, 25: 196–203. doi: 10.1002/bem.10188

Author Information

  1. The Lawson Health Research Institute and Department of Nuclear Medicine and MR, St. Joseph's Health Care (London), London, Ontario, Canada, and the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

*Room H-512, Lawson Health Research Institute, Department of Nuclear Medicine and MR, St. Joseph's Health Care (London), 268 Grosvenor Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 4V2.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 19 MAR 2004
  2. Article first published online: 19 MAR 2004
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 3 SEP 2003
  4. Manuscript Received: 2 DEC 2002

Funded by

  • The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (an operating grant to Frank S. Prato and a doctoral research award to Charles M. Cook)

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Keywords:

  • alpha waves;
  • electromagnetic field;
  • occipital;
  • parietal

Abstract

An increasing number of reports have demonstrated a significant effect of extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF MFs) on aspects of animal and human behavior. Recent studies suggest that exposure to ELF MFs affects human brain electrical activity as measured by electroencephalography (EEG), specifically within the alpha frequency (8–13 Hz). Here we report that exposure to a pulsed ELF MF with most power at frequencies between 0 and 500 Hz, known to affect aspects of analgesia and standing balance, also affects the human EEG. Twenty subjects (10 males; 10 females) received both a magnetic field (MF) and a sham session in a counterbalanced design for 15 min. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that alpha activity was significantly higher over the occipital electrodes (O1, Oz, O2) [F1,16 = 6.858; P = .019, eta2 = 0.30] and marginally higher over the parietal electrodes (P3, Pz, P4) [F1,16 = 4.251; P = .056, eta2 = 0.21] post MF exposure. This enhancement of alpha activity was transient, as it marginally decreased over occipital [F1,16 = 4.417; P = .052; eta2 = 0.216] and parietal electrodes [F1,16 = 4.244; P = .056; eta2 = 0.21] approximately 7 min after MF exposure compared to the sham exposure. Significantly higher occipital alpha activity is consistent with other experiments examining EEG responses to ELF MFs and ELF modulated radiofrequency fields associated with mobile phones. Hence, we suggest that this result may be a nonspecific physiological response to the pulsed MFs. Bioelectromagnetics 25:196–203, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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