Mobile phone chips reduce increases in EEG brain activity induced by mobile phone EMF

Abstract

Mobile phone chips reduce increases in EEG brain activity induced by mobile phone EMF Henz D, Schöllhorn WI, Poeggeler B. Mobile Phone Chips Reduce Increases in EEG Brain Activity Induced by Mobile Phone-Emitted Electromagnetic Fields. Front Neurosci. 2018 Apr 4;12:190. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00190. Abstract Recent neurophysiological studies indicate that exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) generated by mobile phone radiation can exert effects on brain activity. One technical solution to reduce effects of EMFs in mobile phone use is provided in mobile phone chips that are applied to mobile phones or attached to their surfaces. To date, there are no systematical studies on the effects of mobile phone chip application on brain activity and the underlying neural mechanisms. The present study investigated whether mobile phone chips that are applied to mobile phones reduce effects of EMFs emitted by mobile phone radiation on electroencephalographic (EEG) brain activity in a laboratory study. Thirty participants volunteered in the present study. Experimental conditions (mobile phone chip, placebo chip, no chip) were set up in a randomized within-subjects design. Spontaneous EEG was recorded before and after mobile phone exposure for two 2-min sequences at resting conditions. During mobile phone exposure, spontaneous EEG was recorded for 30 min during resting conditions, and 5 min during performance of an attention test (d2-R). Results showed increased activity in the theta, alpha, beta and gamma bands during EMF exposure in the placebo and no chip conditions. Application of the mobile phone chip reduced effects of EMFs on EEG brain activity and attentional performance significantly. Attentional performance level was maintained regarding number of edited characters. Further, a dipole analysis revealed different underlying activation patterns in the chip condition compared to the placebo chip and no chip conditions. Finally, a correlational analysis for the EEG frequency bands and electromagnetic high-frequency (HF) emission showed significant correlations in the placebo chip and no chip condition for the theta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands. In the chip condition, a significant correlation of HF with the theta and alpha bands, but not with the beta and gamma bands was shown. We hypothesize that a reduction of EEG beta and gamma activation constitutes the key neural mechanism in mobile phone chip use that supports the brain to a degree in maintaining its natural activity and performance level during mobile phone use. Conclusion The findings of this study are mainly in line with previous studies to date in the field of neuroscience investigating the effects of EMF exposure from mobile phone use on brain activity. Increases in EEG activations were obtained by exposure to EMFs from mobile phone in all tested frequency bands. A reduction of these EMF induced activations is observed when a mobile phone chip is applied, particularly in the high-frequency ranges (beta and gamma bands). The observation is made both in resting as well as in working conditions. A deeper analysis of the EEG signals indicates that when applying the mobile phone chip less activation sources are found in the brain when exposed to mobile phone-emitted EMFs compared to the experimental conditions when a placebo chip is applied, or when no chip is applied. The findings of this study encourage further investigations on the long-term effects of mobile phone chip use in mobile phones in working settings as beneficial effects are shown for the short-term use of mobile phone chips on brain activity. Open access paper: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

AI evidence extraction

Main findings

In placebo-chip and no-chip conditions, EEG activity in theta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands increased during mobile phone EMF exposure. Applying a mobile phone chip reduced EMF-related EEG changes (particularly beta and gamma) and was reported to significantly reduce effects on EEG brain activity and attentional performance; performance level was maintained for number of edited characters.

Outcomes measured

• EEG brain activity (theta, alpha, beta, gamma bands)
• Attentional performance (d2-R attention test; number of edited characters)
• Dipole analysis activation patterns
• Correlations between EEG bands and electromagnetic high-frequency (HF) emission

Limitations

• Laboratory study setting
• Short-term exposure/assessment only (authors note need for long-term investigations)
• Frequency/SAR/exposure metrics not specified in abstract
• Population characteristics not described in abstract

Suggested hubs

• mobile-phones (0.9)
  Study examines mobile phone-emitted EMF exposure and EEG/attention outcomes.

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