The Effect of a Single 30-Min Long Term Evolution Mobile Phone-Like Exposure on Thermal Pain Threshold of Young Healthy Volunteers.

Zsuzsanna Vecsei,György Thuróczy,István Hernádi

doi:10.3390/ijerph15091849

Abstract

Although the majority of mobile phone (MP) users do not attribute adverse effects on health or well-being to MP-emitted radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMFs), the exponential increase in the number of RF devices necessitates continuing research aimed at the objective investigation of such concerns. Here we investigated the effects of acute exposure from Long Term Evolution (LTE) MP EMFs on thermal pain threshold in healthy young adults. We use a protocol that was validated in a previous study in a capsaicin-induced hyperalgesia model and was also successfully used to show that exposure from an RF source mimicking a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) MP led to mildly stronger desensitization to repeated noxious thermal stimulation relative to the sham condition. Using the same experimental design, we did not find any effects of LTE exposure on thermal pain threshold. The present results, contrary to previous evidence obtained with the UMTS modulation, are likely to originate from placebo/nocebo effects and are unrelated to the brief acute LTE EMF exposure itself. The fact that this is dissimilar to our previous results on UMTS exposure implies that RF modulations might differentially affect pain perception and points to the necessity of further research on the topic.

Highlights

The continuing development of telecommunication technology throughout the twentieth century necessitated the increasing density of devices emitting electromagnetic fields (EMF)
In the present study we investigated the effect of 4G (LTE) mobile phone (MP)-like RF exposure on thermal pain threshold in a randomized, double-blind, counterbalanced experiment using the protocol developed in our previous study [25] where we examined the effects of 3G (UMTS) MPs on the same TPT endpoint
The Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) EMF exposure was found to strengthen the thermal pain desensitization related to repeated noxious stimulation, as reflected in a change in the rate of increase in TPTs throughout the 3 trials of a six-min stimulation blocks during RF exposure

Summary

Introduction

The continuing development of telecommunication technology throughout the twentieth century necessitated the increasing density of devices emitting electromagnetic fields (EMF). With the advent of new generation mobile phone (MP) technologies, wearables and the forthcoming “internet of things,” EMF generating devices are becoming more abundant, they are utilized more frequently and generally closer to the body of the user. Investigating the potential health risks and adverse effects of these devices has never been more important. Most people do not experience any symptoms due to regular MP use. Exposure [1], especially from mobile phones [2]. The symptoms include dizziness and sleep disturbances but the most prevalent and important of them is pain, mostly in the form of headaches

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Results

Conclusion