title: Computational electromagnetic analysis in a human head model with EEG electrodes and leads exposed to RF-field sources at 915 MHz and 1748 MHz.
abstract: An electromagnetic analysis of a human head with EEG electrodes and leads exposed to RF-field sources was performed by means of Finite-Difference Time-Domain simulations on a 1-mm(3) MRI-based human head model. RF-field source models included a half-wave dipole, a patch antenna, and a realistic CAD-based mobile phone at 915 MHz and 1748 MHz. EEG electrodes/leads models included two configurations of EEG leads, both a standard 10-20 montage with 19 electrodes and a 32-electrode cap, and metallic and high resistive leads. Whole-head and peak 10-g average SAR showed less than 20% changes with and without leads. Peak 1-g and 10-g average SARs were below the ICNIRP and IEEE guideline limits. Conversely, a comprehensive volumetric assessment of changes in the RF field with and without metallic EEG leads showed an increase of two orders of magnitude in single-voxel power absorption in the epidermis and a 40-fold increase in the brain during exposure to the 915 MHz mobile phone. Results varied with the geometry and conductivity of EEG electrodes/leads. This enhancement confirms the validity of the question whether any observed effects in studies involving EEG recordings during RF-field exposure are directly related to the RF fields generated by the source or indirectly to the RF-field-induced currents due to the presence of conductive EEG leads.
authors.affiliation: Division of Physics, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. leonardo.angelone@fda.hhs.gov
authors.forename: Leonardo M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Angelone
authors.forename: Giorgi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bit-Babik
authors.forename: Chung-Kwang
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D006257:Head; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D011846:Radio Waves