13/02/2012
Exposure System to Study Hypotheses of ELF and RF Electromagnetic Field Interactions of Mobile Phones With the Central Nervous System
Manuel Murbach, Maria Christopoulou, Pedro Crespo-Valero, Peter Achermann, and Niels Kuster, Bioelectromagnetics, Volume 33, Issue 6, pp. 527–533, September 2012, online February 13
Our paper describes a novel optimized exposure system to investigate the response to extremely low frequency (ELF) and radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic field exposures in terms of brain function. The system can provide the same exposure of the lateral cerebral cortex at two different RF frequencies (900 and 2140 MHz) but with different exposure levels at subcortical structures, and also allows uniform ELF magnetic field exposure of the brain. The RF modulation and ELF signal are obtained by a freely programmable arbitrary signal generator allowing the simulation of a wide range of worst-case exposure scenarios, including those emitted by wireless devices. Very high peak-to-average ratios can be achieved in order to allow pulsed and intermittent exposure schemes.
The scientific and technical impact of the study can be summarized as:
- Flexible exposure system for hypotheses-driven research on effects of ELF & RF electromagnetic fields on brain functions
- Support of double-blinded protocols and of a wide range of modulation & ELF signals with large peak-to-average ratios
- Rigorous dosimetry provided that includes functional subregions of the brain in the Talairach space