5G radio-frequency-electromagnetic-field effects on the human sleep electroencephalogram: A randomized controlled...

The introduction of 5G technology as the latest standard in mobile telecommunications has raised concerns about its potential health effects. Prior studies of earlier generations of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) demonstrated narrowband spectral increases in the electroencephalographic (EEG) spindle frequency range (11-16 Hz) in non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep. However, the impact of 5G RF-EMF on sleep remains unexplored. Additionally, RF-EMF can activate l-type voltage-gated calcium channels (LTCC), which have been linked to sleep quality and EEG oscillatory activity.

This study investigates whether the allelic variant rs7304986 in the CACNA1C gene, encoding the α_1C subunit of LTCC, modulates 5G RF-EMF effects on EEG spindle activity in NREM sleep.

Thirty-four participants, genotyped for rs7304986 (15 T/C and 19 matched T/T carriers), underwent a double-blind, sham-controlled study with standardized left-hemisphere exposure to two 5G RF-EMF signals (3.6 GHz and 700 MHz) for 30 min before sleep. Sleep spindle activity was analyzed using high-density EEG and the Fitting Oscillations & One Over f (FOOOF) algorithm.

T/C carriers reported longer sleep latency compared to T/T carriers. A significant interaction between RF-EMF exposure and rs7304986 genotype was observed, with only 3.6 GHz exposure in T/C carriers inducing a faster spindle center frequency in the central, parietal, and occipital cortex compared to sham.

These findings suggest that 3.6 GHz 5G RF-EMF modulates spindle center frequency in NREM sleep in a CACNA1C genotype-dependent manner, implicating LTCC in the physiological response to RF-EMF and underscoring the need for further research into 5G effects on brain health.