title: Do signals of a hand-held TETRA transmitter affect cognitive performance, well-being, mood or somatic complaints in healthy young men? Results of a randomized double-blind cross-over provocation study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  TETRA (terrestrial trunked radio) is a digital radio communication standard, which has been implemented in several European countries and is used by public executives, transportation services, and by private companies. Studies on possible impacts on the users' health considering different exposure conditions are missing.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate possible acute effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) of two different levels of TETRA hand-held transmitter signals on cognitive function and well-being in healthy young males.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present double-blind cross-over study possible effects of short-term (2.5h) EMF exposure of handset-like signals of TETRA (385 MHz) were studied in 30 healthy male participants (mean±SD: 25.4±2.6 years). Individuals were tested on nine study days, on which they were exposed to three different exposure conditions (Sham, TETRA 1.5 W/kg and TETRA 6.0 W/kg) in a randomly assigned and balanced order. Participants were tested in the afternoon at a fixed timeframe.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Attention remained unchanged in two out of three tasks. In the working memory significant changes were observed in two out of four subtasks. Significant results were found in 5 out of 35 tested parameters, four of them led to an improvement in performance. Mood, well-being and subjective somatic complaints were not affected by TETRA exposure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study do not indicate a negative impact of a short-term EMF-effect of TETRA on cognitive function and well-being in healthy young men.
authors.affiliation: Competence Centre of Sleep Medicine, Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: cornelia.sauter@charite.de.
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sauter
authors.affiliation: Competence Centre of Sleep Medicine, Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: torsten.eggert@charite.de.
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eggert
authors.affiliation: Competence Centre of Sleep Medicine, Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: dorn@zedat.fu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dorn
authors.affiliation: Seibersdorf Laboratories, 2444 Seibersdorf, Austria. Electronic address: Gernot.Schmid@seibersdorf-laboratories.at.
authors.forename: Gernot
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mobile and Satellite communication Technology, Carl-Friedrich-Gauß-Str. 2-4, 47475 Kamp-Lintfort, Germany; RF-Frontend GmbH, Suedstr. 8, 47475 Kamp-Lintfort, Germany. Electronic address: bolz@rf-frontend.de.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bolz
authors.affiliation: Competence Centre of Sleep Medicine, Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: marasanov2000@mail.ru.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marasanov
authors.affiliation: Competence Centre of Sleep Medicine, Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: marie-luise.hansen@charite.de.
authors.forename: Marie-Luise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Competence Centre of Sleep Medicine, Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peter
authors.affiliation: Competence Centre of Sleep Medicine, Charité-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: heidi.danker-hopfe@charite.de.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Danker-Hopfe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D003071:Cognition; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004867:Equipment Design; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011846:Radio Waves; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attention; Radio frequency-electromagnetic fields; Somatic symptoms; Terrestrial trunked radio; Working memory