Psychophysiological tests and provocation of subjects with mobile phone related symptoms

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of exposure to a mobile phone-like radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic field on persons experiencing subjective symptoms when using mobile phones (MP). Twenty subjects with MP-related symptoms were recruited and matched with 20 controls without MP-related symptoms. Each subject participated in two experimental sessions, one with true exposure and one with sham exposure, in random order. In the true exposure condition, the test subjects were exposed for 30 min to an RF field generating a maximum SAR(1g) in the head of 1 W/kg through an indoor base station antenna attached to a 900 MHz GSM MP. The following physiological and cognitive parameters were measured during the experiment: heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV), respiration, local blood flow, electrodermal activity, critical flicker fusion threshold (CFFT), short-term memory, and reaction time. No significant differences related to RF exposure conditions were detected. Also no differences in baseline data were found between subject groups, except for the reaction time, which was significantly longer among the cases than among the controls the first time the test was performed. This difference disappeared when the test was repeated. However, the cases differed significantly from the controls with respect to HRV as measured in the frequency domain. The cases displayed a shift in low/high frequency ratio towards a sympathetic dominance in the autonomous nervous system during the CFFT and memory tests, regardless of exposure condition. This might be interpreted as a sign of differences in the autonomous nervous system regulation between persons with MP related subjective symptoms and persons with no such symptoms.

The Influence of the Call with a Mobile Phone on Heart Rate Variability Parameters in Healthy Volunteers

“…Braune et al observed that changes in heart rate and in arterial blood pressure were independent of the EMF exposure with the use of p -statistical significance; ns -non-significant; wh -the whole group; m -men; w -women; each value represents the mean ± SD. domination of sympathetic tone in response to EMF exposure, but correlated it with emotional stress related to solving the psychophysiological tests by the participants 33) . Subjects who experienced symptoms related to MP use were recruited into the study and compared with a control group with no symptoms in association with MP use.…”

“…In our investigation and in the rest of the discussed articles only healthy volunteers were participating. In studies conducted by Wilen et al a film was shown on a computer screen during the exposure, which could potentially have an influence on HRV 33) . The majority of subjects reported a history of MP use for 8-14 yr or 15-22 yr with a calling time more than 60 min a day or 15-60 min a day 32) .…”

Effects of radiation emitted from mobile phones on short- term heart rate variability parameters

“…Ancak, gruplarda yer alan deneklerin çoğunda periyotlar arasında görü-len aynı yönlü küçük değişimler, eşleştirilmiş karşılaştırmaların anlamlı fark üretmesine neden olmuştur. Literatürde yer alan çalışmaların bazılarında, CT'den kaynaklanan radyasyona bağlı olarak KHD parametrelerinde değişimler oluşmadığı (7)(8)(9)(10), bazılarında ise oluştuğu belirtilmiştir (11)(12)(13). Bu çalışmalardan sadece Andrzejak ve ark.…”

“…Literatürde, cep telefonlarının (CT) kardiyak otonomik aktivite üzerindeki etkisini, KHD analizlerini kullanarak inceleyen çalışma-lar mevcuttur (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13). Bu çalışmalardan elde edilen sonuçlara bakıldığında, birbirleriyle çelişmekte oldukları görülmektedir.…”

Exposure to wireless phone emissions and serum β-trace protein

“…The final sample consisted of 40 persons since one woman was excluded because of pregnancy, another due to loss of blood pressure during blood sampling and a third and a fourth could not participate for technical reasons in the statistical pair-wise analyses. Exposure was to an 890 MHz GSM signal as described previously (30,31). A specific absorption rate (SAR 1g ) of 1.0 Watt/kg to the temporal area was applied.…”