Dongus, Stefan

Eeftens, Marloes

Foerster, Milena

Joseph, Wout

Röösli, Martin

Thielens, Arno

English

Ghent University Academic Bibliography

  ISEE 2017 Abstract Submission Form   Symposium and Workshops summary submission deadline 23 February 2017  Oral and Poster submission deadline: 23 March 2017   Instruction   The abstract must be typed into this Abstract Submission Form in English.   Title should be centred, short, specific, and informative, with a font size of 12 pt. Arial.   Author information should include first name, second initial, surname and affiliations with a font size of 8 pt. Arial. Up to 10 authors are allowed. Presenting authors’ names should be bold and presenting authors should be denoted with asterisks.   Affiliation should be Organisation, Town/City, Country – example: School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia  The abstract text should include “Background/Aim”, “Methods”, “Results” and “Conclusions”.   The abstract is restricted to 300 words (not including the title, author information and affiliations) and tables, graphs or figures are not allowed. It should be written with 9 pt. Arial as font.   Do NOT CAPITALIZE LETTERS.   This abstract will be published as submitted in: Abstracts of the 2017 Epidemiology (ISEE). Research Triangle Park, NC: Environmental Health Perspectives, without modification.   Presentation preference (Select one checkbox)  o Symposium summary: Title Symposium (please overtype this) o Pre Conference Workshop summary o Oral (Symposium) : Title Symposium (please overtype this) X     Oral (General Sessions)  o Poster (General Sessions)     Decreases in adolescents’ figural memory performance associated with cumulative individual radiowave brain dose over one year.  Milena Foerster, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss TPH, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland  Arno Thielens, Waves research group, Department of Information Technology, Ghent University/imec, Ghent, Belgium Wout Joseph, Waves research group, Department of Information Technology, Ghent University/imec, Ghent, Belgium Marloes Eeftens, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss TPH, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland  Stefan Dongus*, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss TPH, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland  Martin Röösli, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss TPH, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland     Background/Aim The potential impact of microwave radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) emitted by wireless communication devices on neurocognitive functions of adolescents is still discussed. In a previous longitudinal analysis we found changes in figural memory scores associated with higher cumulative RF-EMF brain dose in adolescents. This study aimed on following up these results using a new study population and a new approach to control for confounding from media usage itself.  Methods Individual RF-EMF brain dose for each participant (n=842) was modelled using objective data from mobile phone operators, personal RF-EMF measurements, questionnaire data and geospatial modelling. Multivariable linear regression models were fitted on memory score changes over one year and cumulative RF-EMF brain dose as well as media usage either related or unrelated (negative exposure controls) to RF-EMF exposure. An additional laterality analysis for right ear vs. left ear/no preference phone callers was conducted since memory functions are known to be lateralized in brain hemispheres. To control for confounding of media use behaviours a stratified analysis for different media use patterns was conducted.  Results  We found decreased figural memory scores with higher cumulative RF-EMF dose score change (-0.22, 95% CI: -0.47 to 0.03) per IQR in the whole sample and in a network operator recorded sample (-0.26, 95% CI: -0.42 to -0.10). No association was seen with media usage unrelated to RF-EMF. RF-EMF brain dose was negatively correlated with figural memory in right side users (-0.39, 95% CI: -0.67 to -0.10). Using operator recorded data, verbal memory score was impaired in left side users.    Conclusions The results support a potential adverse effect of RF-EMF brain dose on adolescents’ cognitive functions. Results of the laterality analysis are compatible with the involved brain hemispheres for figural (right side) and verbal (left side) memory. 

Decreases in adolescents’ figural memory performance associated with cumulative individual radiowave brain dose over one year

https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/8557699/file/8557702

Decreases in adolescents’ figural memory performance associated with cumulative individual radiowave brain dose over one year

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Ghent University Academic Bibliography