TETRA mobile radios interfere with electroencephalography recording equipment

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Electrophysiology
• Radiofrequency Engineering

Background:

• Human electroencephalogram (EEG) is a key tool for studying brain activity.
• Terrestrial trunked radio (TETRA) systems utilize Radiofrequency Fields (RF) that could potentially interact with biological systems or recording equipment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate an observed anomaly in human EEG signals during exposure to TETRA RF.
• To characterize the temporal and frequency components of this EEG anomaly.
• To determine if the anomaly originates from direct/indirect brain effects or equipment interference.

Main Methods:

• EEG recordings were analyzed during controlled exposure to TETRA RF.
• Time-domain and frequency-domain analyses were performed on the EEG data.
• The source of the observed anomaly was investigated to differentiate between biological effects and equipment artefacts.

Main Results:

• An anomaly was detected in the human EEG signals correlating with TETRA RF exposure.
• Detailed analysis revealed the anomaly's characteristics in both time and frequency domains.
• The anomaly was conclusively identified as an artefact resulting from TETRA RF interference with EEG recording equipment.

Conclusions:

• The observed EEG anomaly is not a direct or indirect effect on the human brain.
• TETRA RF interferes with EEG recording equipment, creating a measurable artefact.
• This finding is crucial for accurate interpretation of EEG data in environments with RF sources.