Studies show no association between mobile device exposure and brain volume changes in prepubertal adolescents

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.July 9, 2020

How does using a mobile device affect a child’s brain? Supported by the “la Caixa” Foundation, the Barcelona Global Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) team measures brain volume and radio frequency electromagnetic field doses (RF-EMF) in more than 2,500 prepubertal Dutch children. No association was found, but the authors did not rule out a possible association between the use of mobile devices with wireless Internet connectivity and low caudate capacity.

The potential negative health effects associated with the use of children’s mobile devices have been a concern for some time. Exposure to RF-EMF is particularly interesting because the prepubertal brain is still developing and children are exposed to RF-EMF for extended periods of time using mobile devices for life.

Most of the studies to date on this subject have independently assessed the association between brain development and various RF-EMF sources, but no clear association was found. New research published in Environment International, Aims to investigate changes in brain volume using an integrated approach that considers multiple sources of RF-EMF. This approach allowed a more comprehensive assessment of the effects of RF-EMF exposure on adolescent brain.

This study used data from more than 2,500 children aged 9 to 12 in the Generation R study, a birth cohort based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Parents completed a questionnaire about children’s use of mobile devices. RF-EMF doses to the brain from various sources were estimated and grouped according to three exposure patterns: phone, screen activity, and other environmental factors such as mobile phone antennas. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan was used to measure the volume of various parts of the brain.

The authors found that there was no association between changes in total or lobe-specific brain volume and overall RF-EMF dose. Nor was there any brain volume associated with the use of mobile devices on the phone, which is a major cause of RF-EMF exposure to the brain. However, between the small amount of caudate (the structure of the brain involved in coordinating memory and movement) and the RF-EMF dose when wirelessly using screen-equipped devices (cell phones, tablets, laptops). A link was found on the internet connection.

“The main purpose of this study was to determine if there was any association between exposure to RF-EMF and brain volume,” said Alba Cabrera, researcher at ISGlobal, the lead author of the study. Commented. “Our findings indicate that this is not the case. A possible link between RF-EMF dose received through the use of these devices for screen activity and caudate volume is If you’re surfing the internet on a mobile phone, tablet, or laptop using a wireless connection, brain exposure to RF-EMF can mean, for example, the distance between your device and your head. This result should be interpreted with great caution, as the effects of other factors and the possibility of accidental discovery cannot be ruled out anyway. There is.”

RF-EMF exposure or use related factors?

In addition to brain exposure to RF-EMF, one possible explanation for the findings is the impact of social or personal factors associated with the particular use of mobile devices.

It cannot be ruled out that brain changes are somehow related to the way children use mobile devices. Further research is needed on possible associations of mobile communication devices with their brain development, whether the relationship is due to RF-EMF exposure or other factors associated with the use of these devices. is. “

Mònica Guxens, ISGlobal Researcher, Research Coordinator

The average total brain dose for RF-EMF was estimated to be 84.3 mJ / kg / day. The highest overall leaf-specific dose was estimated in the temporal lobe (307.1 mJ/kg/day). Both doses are well below the maximum recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).