Marie-Luise Hansen

Effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields emitted by GSM 900 and WCDMA mobile phones on cognitive function in young male subjects

Results of studies on the possible effects of electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones on cognitive functions are contradictory, therefore, possible effects of long-term (7 h 15 min) electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure to handset-like signals of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) 900 and Wideband Code-Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) on attention and working memory were studied. The sample comprised 30 healthy male subjects (mean ± SD: 25.3 ± 2.6 years), who were tested on nine study days in which they were exposed to three exposure conditions (sham, GSM 900 and WCDMA) in a randomly assigned and balanced order. All tests were presented twice (morning and afternoon) on each study day within a fixed timeframe. Univariate comparisons revealed significant changes when subjects were exposed to GSM 900 compared to sham, only in the vigilance test. In the WCDMA exposure condition, one parameter in the vigilance and one in the test on divided attention were altered compared to sham. Performance in the selective attention test and the n-back task was not affected by GSM 900 or WCDMA exposure. Time-of-day effects were evident for the tests on divided and selective attention, as well as for working memory. After correction for multiple testing, only time-of-day effects remained significant in two tests, resulting in faster reactions in the afternoon trials. The results of the present study do not provide any evidence of an EMF effect on human cognition, but they underline the necessity to control for time of day.

Effects of mobile phone exposure (GSM 900 and WCDMA/UMTS) on polysomnography based sleep quality: An intra- and inter-individual perspective

BACKGROUND Studies on effects of radio frequency-electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) on the macrostructure of sleep so far yielded inconsistent results. This study investigated whether possible effects of RF-EMF exposure differ between individuals. OBJECTIVE In a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled cross-over study possible effects of electromagnetic fields emitted by pulsed Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) 900 and Wideband Code-Division Multiple Access (WCDMA)/Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (WCDMA/UMTS) devices on sleep were analysed. METHODS Thirty healthy young men (range 18-30 years) were exposed three times per exposure condition while their sleep was recorded. Sleep was evaluated according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine standard and eight basic sleep variables were considered. RESULTS Data analyses at the individual level indicate that RF-EMF effects are observed in 90% of the individuals and that all sleep variables are affected in at least four subjects. While sleep of participants was affected in various numbers, combinations of sleep variables and in different directions, showing improvements but also deteriorations, the only consistent finding was an increase of stage R sleep under GSM 900MHz exposure (9 of 30 subjects) as well as under WCDMA/UMTS exposure (10 of 30 subjects). CONCLUSIONS The results underline that sleep of individuals can be affected differently. The observations found here may indicate an underlying thermal mechanism of RF-EMF on human REM sleep. Nevertheless, the effect of an increase in stage R sleep in one third of the individuals does not necessarily indicate a disturbance of sleep.

Doxazosin, an α-1-adrenergic-receptor Antagonist, for Nightmares in Patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and/or Borderline Personality Disorder: a Chart Review

Objective: Centrally active α-1-adrenergic-receptor antagonists such as prazosin are effective in the treatment of nightmares in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A pharmacological alternative is doxazosin, which has a longer half-life and fewer side effects. However, doxazosin is currently being used without solid empirical evidence. Furthermore, no study so far has assessed the effects of α-1-antagonists on nightmares in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). We retrospectively assessed the effectiveness of doxazosin on nightmares in PTSD and BPD. Method: A retrospective chart review of patients treated with doxazosin for trauma-associated nightmares in our clinic was performed. As in previous prazosin studies, the B2 score of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) was used as the primary outcome measure. Furthermore, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index-Addendum for PTSD (PSQI-A) and sleep logs were analyzed. Results: We identified 51 patients with PTSD and/or BPD (mean age 35.7 years, 92.3% women) who received doxazosin for nightmares. Of these, 46 patients continued doxazosin over a 4-week period and 31 patients over a 12-week period. Within the 12-week period, doxazosin treatment significantly reduced nightmares regardless of PTSD/BPD. 25 percent of patients treated for 12 weeks had full remission of nightmares. PSQI-A scores indicated that additional trauma-associated sleep symptoms improved over 12 weeks. Furthermore, recuperation of sleep improved with doxazosin within the first 4 weeks of treatment. Conclusion: Doxazosin might improve trauma associated nightmares and more general sleep parameters in patients with PTSD and BPD. Randomized controlled trials are warranted.

Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) exposure and its impact on slow cortical potentials

BACKGROUND Studies have shown that exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) in the mobile communication frequency range may induce physiological modifications of both spontaneous as well as event-related human electroencephalogram. So far, there are very few peer-reviewed studies on effects of Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA), which is a digital radio communication standard used by security authorities and organizations in several European countries, on the central nervous system. OBJECTIVES To analyze the impact of simulated TETRA handset signals at 385 MHz on slow cortical potentials (SCPs). METHODS 30 young healthy males (25.2±2.7 years) were exposed in a double-blind, counterbalanced, cross-over design to one of three exposure levels (TETRA with 10 g averaged peak spatial SAR: 1.5 W/kg, 6.0 W/kg and sham). Exposure was conducted with a body worn antenna (especially designed for this study), positioned at the left side of the head. Subjects had 9 test sessions (three per exposure condition) in which three SCPs were assessed: SCP related to a clock monitoring task (CMT), Contingent negative variation (CNV) and Bereitschaftspotential (BP). RESULTS Neither behavioral measures nor the electrophysiological activity was significantly affected by exposure in the three investigated SCP paradigms. Independent of exposure, significant amplitude differences between scalp regions could be observed for the CMT-related SCP and for the CNV. CONCLUSIONS The present results reveal no evidence of RF-EMF exposure-dependent brain activity modifications investigated at the behavioral and the physiological level.

Nightmares that mislead to diagnosis of reactivation of PTSD.

Background Sleep disturbance is a common characteristic of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Besides the clinical descriptions of nightmares and insomnia, periodic limb movements (PLMs) are reported to co-occur in PTSD. Although the causal relationship between sleep disturbance and PTSD is not fully understood, sleep disturbance is an independent risk factor for the development and reactivation of PTSD. In contrast, the link between PTSD and REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is less clear. Method A case report is presented to illustrate differential diagnosis and time course of sleep disturbance in the context of PTSD. Result A 63-year-old man who had been successfully treated for PTSD but who suffered the re-occurrence of disturbed sleep due to RBD and PLM, which was misdiagnosed as reactivation of PTSD. Conclusions RBD can mimic PTSD-related nightmares. Accurate diagnosis of sleep disturbance in PTSD is relevant for treatment and prognostic evaluation.