Association between estimated whole-brain radiofrequency electromagnetic fields dose and cognitive function in preadolescents and adolescents
Por:
Cabré-Riera A, van Wel L, Liorni I, Thielens A, Birks LE, Pierotti L, Joseph W, González-Safont L, Ibarluzea J, Ferrero A, Huss A, Wiart J, Santa-Marina L, Torrent M, Vrijkotte T, Capstick M, Vermeulen R, Vrijheid M, Cardis E, Röösli M and Guxens M
Publicada:
1 ene 2021
Ahead of Print:
19 nov 2020
Categoría:
Public health, environmental and occupational health
Resumen:
Objective: To investigate the association between estimated whole-brain radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) dose, using an improved integrated RF-EMF exposure model, and cognitive function in preadolescents and adolescents.
Methods: Cross-sectional analysis in preadolescents aged 9-11 years and adolescents aged 17-18 years from the Dutch Amsterdam Born Children and their Development Study (n = 1664 preadolescents) and the Spanish INfancia y Medio Ambiente Project (n = 1288 preadolescents and n = 261 adolescents), two population-based birth cohort studies. Overall whole-brain RF-EMF doses (mJ/kg/day) were estimated for several RF-EMF sources together including mobile and Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications phone calls (named phone calls), other mobile phone uses than calling, tablet use, laptop use (named screen activities), and far-field sources. We also estimated whole-brain RF-EMF doses in these three groups separately (i.e. phone calls, screen activities, and far-field) that lead to different patterns of RF-EMF exposure. We assessed non-verbal intelligence in the Dutch and Spanish preadolescents, information processing speed, attentional function, and cognitive flexibility in the Spanish preadolescents, and working memory and semantic fluency in the Spanish preadolescents and adolescents using validated neurocognitive tests.
Results: Estimated overall whole-brain RF-EMF dose was 90.1 mJ/kg/day (interquartile range (IQR) 42.7; 164.0) in the Dutch and Spanish preadolescents and 105.1 mJ/kg/day (IQR 51.0; 295.7) in the Spanish adolescents. Higher overall estimated whole-brain RF-EMF doses from all RF-EMF sources together and from phone calls were associated with lower non-verbal intelligence score in the Dutch and Spanish preadolescents (-0.10 points, 95% CI-0.19; -0.02 per 100 mJ/kg/day increase in each exposure). However, none of the whole-brain RF-EMF doses was related to any other cognitive function outcome in the Spanish preadolescents or adolescents.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that higher brain exposure to RF-EMF is related to lower non-verbal intelligence but not to other cognitive function outcomes. Given the cross-sectional nature of the study, the small effect sizes, and the unknown biological mechanisms, we cannot discard that our resultsare due to chance finding or reverse causality. Longitudinal studies on RF-EMF brain exposure and cognitive function are needed.
Filiaciones:
Cabré-Riera A:
ISGlobal, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
Pompeu Fabra University, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
Spanish Consortium for Research and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avenida de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
van Wel L:
Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands
Liorni I:
IT'IS Foundation, Zeughausstrasse 43, CH-8004 Zurich, Switzerland
Thielens A:
Department of Information Technology, Ghent University/IMEC, Technologiepark 126, 9052, Gent, Belgium
Birks LE:
ISGlobal, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
Pompeu Fabra University, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
Spanish Consortium for Research and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avenida de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
Pierotti L:
ISGlobal, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
Pompeu Fabra University, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
Spanish Consortium for Research and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avenida de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
Joseph W:
Department of Information Technology, Ghent University/IMEC, Technologiepark 126, 9052, Gent, Belgium
:
Spanish Consortium for Research and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avenida de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Avinguda de Cataluya 21, 46020 Valencia, Spain
Ibarluzea J:
Spanish Consortium for Research and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avenida de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
Department of Health, Public Health Division of Gipuzkoa, 20014, San Sebastian, Spain
BIODONOSTIA Health Research Institute, Avenida de Navarra 4, 20013, San Sebastian, Spain
Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Berio Pasealekua, 20018, San Sebastian, Spain
:
Spanish Consortium for Research and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avenida de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, Avinguda de Cataluya 21, 46020 Valencia, Spain
Huss A:
Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands
Wiart J:
LTCI, Telecom Paris, Chaire C2M France, 19 Place Marguerite Perey, 91120, Palaiseau, France
Santa-Marina L:
Spanish Consortium for Research and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avenida de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
Department of Health, Public Health Division of Gipuzkoa, 20014, San Sebastian, Spain
BIODONOSTIA Health Research Institute, Avenida de Navarra 4, 20013, San Sebastian, Spain
Torrent M:
ib-Salut, Area de Salud de Menorca, Carrer Sant Josep 5, 07720, Santa Ana, Spain
Vrijkotte T:
Department of Public and Occipational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105AZ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Capstick M:
IT'IS Foundation, Zeughausstrasse 43, CH-8004 Zurich, Switzerland
Vermeulen R:
Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands
Vrijheid M:
ISGlobal, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
Pompeu Fabra University, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
Spanish Consortium for Research and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avenida de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
Cardis E:
ISGlobal, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
Pompeu Fabra University, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
Spanish Consortium for Research and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avenida de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
Röösli M:
Departement of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
Guxens M:
ISGlobal, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
Pompeu Fabra University, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
Spanish Consortium for Research and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avenida de Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Dr. Molenwaterplein 50, 3015GE, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Green Submitted, Green Published
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