Mobile phone emission modulates inter-hemispheric functional coupling of EEG alpha rhythms in elderly compared to young subjects.
OBJECTIVE
It has been reported that GSM electromagnetic fields (GSM-EMFs) of mobile phones modulate--after a prolonged exposure--inter-hemispheric synchronization of temporal and frontal resting electroencephalographic (EEG) rhythms in normal young subjects [Vecchio et al., 2007]. Here we tested the hypothesis that this effect can vary on physiological aging as a sign of changes in the functional organization of cortical neural synchronization.


METHODS
Eyes-closed resting EEG data were recorded in 16 healthy elderly subjects and 5 young subjects in the two conditions of the previous reference study. The GSM device was turned on (45 min) in one condition and was turned off (45 min) in the other condition. Spectral coherence evaluated the inter-hemispheric synchronization of EEG rhythms at the following bands: delta (about 2-4 Hz), theta (about 4-6 Hz), alpha 1 (about 6-8 Hz), alpha 2 (about 8-10 Hz), and alpha 3 (about 10-12 Hz). The aging effects were investigated comparing the inter-hemispheric EEG coherence in the elderly subjects vs. a young group formed by 15 young subjects (10 young subjects of the reference study; Vecchio et al., 2007).


RESULTS
Compared with the young subjects, the elderly subjects showed a statistically significant (p<0.001) increment of the inter-hemispheric coherence of frontal and temporal alpha rhythms (about 8-12 Hz) during the GSM condition.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that GSM-EMFs of a mobile phone affect inter-hemispheric synchronization of the dominant (alpha) EEG rhythms as a function of the physiological aging.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides further evidence that physiological aging is related to changes in the functional organization of cortical neural synchronization.
Vecchio
Fabrizio
F
AFaR, Department of Neuroscience, Hosp Fatebenefratelli, Isola Tiberina, Rome, Italy. fabrizio.vecchio@uniroma1.it
Babiloni
Claudio
C
Ferreri
Florinda
F
Buffo
Paola
P
Cibelli
Giuseppe
G
Curcio
Giuseppe
G
van Dijkman
Sven
S
Melgari
Jean-Marc
JM
Giambattistelli
Federica
F
Rossini
Paolo Maria
PM
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000513:Alpha Rhythm / Q000528:radiation effects*; D040421:Cell Phone; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D003344:Cortical Synchronization / Q000528:radiation effects; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D055815:Young Adult