Abstract

Overview

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the long-term effects of exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMF) on various cognitive functions and explore any exposure-response relationships.

Methods

• Search conducted in databases including PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, and EMF-Portal as of September 30, 2022.
• Included cohort or case-control studies on RF exposure and cognitive function across multiple cognitive domains.
• Risk of bias assessed using the OHAT tool; data synthesized via fixed effects meta-analysis.
• Evidence certainty evaluated through the GRADE approach.

Findings

Analysis included data from 4 cohorts (4639 participants) in three countries from studies conducted between 2006 and 2017. The main RF-EMF source was mobile phone use. Key findings:

• Little to no association was observed between RF-EMF exposure and impacts on learning and memory, executive function, and complex attention, with very low to low certainty evidence.
• In children, no studies reported effects on global cognitive function or other cognition domains.
• In elderly, results indicated insignificant influences on cognitive declines, with very low certainty evidence.
• No exposure-response relationship identified for cognitive outcomes.

Conclusion

The evidence suggests negligible effects of RF-EMF on specific cognitive functions, underscoring a need for further research spanning diverse populations and exposure settings. Future studies should also standardize cognitive function tests to enhance evidence synthesis.