Pulsed high-frequency electromagnetic field affects human sleep and sleep electroencephalogram

Neurosci Lett. 1999 Nov 19;275(3):207-10. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3940(99)00770-3.

Abstract

To investigate whether the electromagnetic field (EMF) emitted by digital radiotelephone handsets affects the brain, healthy, young subjects were exposed during an entire night-time sleep episode to an intermittent radiation schedule (900 MHz; maximum specific absorption rate 1 W/kg) consisting of alternating 15-min on-15-min off intervals. Compared with a control night with sham exposure, the amount of waking after sleep onset was reduced from 18 to 12 min. Spectral power of the electroencephalogram in non-rapid eye movement sleep was increased. The maximum rise occurred in the 10-11 Hz and 13.5-14 Hz bands during the initial part of sleep and then subsided. The results demonstrate that pulsed high-frequency EMF in the range of radiotelephones may promote sleep and modify the sleep EEG.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Brain / physiology*
  • Brain / radiation effects
  • Cross-Over Studies
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Electroencephalography / radiation effects*
  • Electromagnetic Fields*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Sleep Stages / physiology*
  • Sleep Stages / radiation effects