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Electromagnetic fields, such as those from mobile phones, alter regional cerebral blood flow and sleep and waking EEG

  1. R. Huber1,
  2. V. Treyer2,
  3. A. A. Borbély1,
  4. J. Schuderer3,
  5. J. M. Gottselig1,
  6. H.-P. Landolt1,
  7. E. Werth1,
  8. T. Berthold2,
  9. N. Kuster3,
  10. A. Buck2,
  11. P. Achermann1

Article first published online: 11 DEC 2002

DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2869.2002.00314.x

Issue

Journal of Sleep Research

Journal of Sleep Research

Volume 11, Issue 4, pages 289–295, December 2002

Additional Information

How to Cite

Huber, R., Treyer, V., Borbély, A. A., Schuderer, J., Gottselig, J. M., Landolt, H.-P., Werth, E., Berthold, T., Kuster, N., Buck, A. and Achermann, P. (2002), Electromagnetic fields, such as those from mobile phones, alter regional cerebral blood flow and sleep and waking EEG. Journal of Sleep Research, 11: 289–295. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2869.2002.00314.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,

  2. 2

    PET Center, Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland and

  3. 3

    Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (IT'IS), Zurich, Switzerland

* : Peter Achermann, PhD, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Swtizerland. Tel.: +411 635 59 54; fax: +411 635 57 07; e-mail: acherman@pharma.unizh.ch

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 11 DEC 2002
  2. Article first published online: 11 DEC 2002
  3. Accepted in revised form 21 August 2002; received 17 July 2002

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Keywords:

  • sleep;
  • cellular phone;
  • positron emission tomography;
  • electroencephalogram;
  • electromagnetic fields;
  • modulation

SUMMARY

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. Borbély, 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. Borbély, 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.

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