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

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Listed:
  • Zsuzsanna Vecsei

    (Department of Non-ionizing Radiation, National Public Health Institute, H-1221 Budapest, Hungary
    Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary)

  • György Thuróczy

    (Department of Non-ionizing Radiation, National Public Health Institute, H-1221 Budapest, Hungary)

  • István Hernádi

    (Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
    Szentágothai Research Center, and Center for Neuroscience, University of Pécs, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
    Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Zsuzsanna Vecsei & György Thuróczy & István Hernádi, 2018. "The Effect of a Single 30-Min Long Term Evolution Mobile Phone-Like Exposure on Thermal Pain Threshold of Young Healthy Volunteers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-12, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:9:p:1849-:d:166053
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Maria Rosaria Scarfì & Mats-Olof Mattsson & Myrtill Simkó & Olga Zeni, 2019. "Special Issue: “Electric, Magnetic, and Electromagnetic Fields in Biology and Medicine: From Mechanisms to Biomedical Applications”," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-3, November.
    2. Nihal S. Ouadah & Kelly Blazy & Anne-Sophie Villégier, 2020. "Effect of Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields on Thermal Sensitivity in the Rat," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-11, October.

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