Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Effects of twenty-minute 3G mobile phone irradiation on event related potential components and early gamma synchronization in auditory oddball paradigm med./bio.

By: Stefanics G, Thuroczy G, Kellenyi L, Hernadi I

Published in: Neuroscience 2008; 157 (2): 453-462

Aim of study (acc. to author)

To investigate the potential effects of 20 min irradiation from an UMTS-mobile phone on event related potentials evoked by standard and target tones in an auditory oddball paradigm.

Background/further details

In two seperate sessions, 29 healthy students were exposed and sham-exposed between two recording blocks of an oddball paradigm. Before and after exposure participants were presented with a random series of 50 ms tone burst at a mean repetition rate of 1500 ms. The subjects task was to count the appearance of targets (=deviant tone burst).

Endpoint

effects on the neurological system: EEG

Exposure

- mobile communications
- mobile phone
- UMTS

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: unspecified Modulation type: pulsed Exposure duration: continuous for 20 min	SAR: 0.39 W/kg maximum (1 g) SAR: 1.75 W/kg maximum (1 g) SAR: 3.75 W/kg maximum (partial body) (at the skin level of the outer ear)

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	unspecified
Type	electromagnetic field
Exposure duration	continuous for 20 min

Modulation

Modulation type	pulsed
Repetition frequency	1,500 Hz

Exposure setup

Exposure source	standard mobile phone Nokia 6650
Setup	mobile phone connected to an external patch antenna which was mounted on a plastic head set; as for applicator a 0.5 mm thick single sided round dual band patch antenna with a diameter of 31 mm was used
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
SAR	0.39 W/kg	maximum	calculated	1 g	-
SAR	1.75 W/kg	maximum	measured	1 g	-
SAR	3.75 W/kg	maximum	estimated	partial body	at the skin level of the outer ear

Exposed system:

human
partial body: ear

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

effects on the neurological system: EEG: event related potentials (amplitude and latency of N100, N200, P200 and P300); evoked gamma wave activity and inter-trial phase coherence
cognitive/behavioral endpoints: percentage of correctly counted target stimuli for each block
effects on ear: hearing thresholds (audiometry)

Investigated system:

investigation on living organism

Investigated organ system:

brain/CNS

Time of investigation:

before exposure
after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

The analysis of the percentage score of correctly counted target stimuli and the auditory thresholds before and after exposure and sham exposure indicated no effect of electromagnetic fields on task performance. Standard stimuli evoked the N100, N200 and P200 component and targets evoked the P300 response. No significant effects of electromagnetic field exposure on the amplitude and latency of the event related potential components were found. Target stimuli evoked stronger gamma wave-frequency band response than standards, however no effect of electromagnetic fields on the magnitude of gamma wave acitivity was found.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study
double-blind study

Study funded by

European Programme of Community Action in the Field of Public Health
European Union (EU)/European Commission

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