Caractérisation de l’activité cérébrale auditive recueillie en champ électromagnétique émis par des téléphones portables

Abstract

This paper deals with the study of the influence of radiofrequency fields emitted by mobile phones on human cerebral activity. Our work is carried out on the auditory system using auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) recorded on the scalp of healthy humans and epileptic patients. The protocol allows to compare the AEPs recorded with or without exposure. The stimuli are two pure tones and a communication simulator that allows to control the power of radiofrequency fields. To get a reference and to take into account the habituation, a fictitious experiment without radiofrequency emission, named placebo, is also considered. In this paper, some measures are investigated to detect a possible difference due to radiofrequency fields. They concern the amplitudes and the latencies of the N100 wave, the correlation coefficients computed between averaged signals, as well as the correlation coefficients between spectra of averaged AEPs. The proposed measures are based on the previous parameters taking into account the habituation. The N100 amplitudes and latency variations underline a cognitive dysfunction attributable to radiofrequencies. For the healthy subjects, the latency diminution is due to a better neuronal synchronization or a thermal effect. For the epileptic patients, the latency extension can be caused by an afferent tract alteration. A difference in the correlation coefficients computed between signals as well as that in the correlation coefficients calculated between the spectra of the placebo and experimental signals shows an effect of the radiofrequencies which induces a neuronal disorganization whose real incidence on the cerebral activity is not proved.