effect of mobile phone on the electrical activity of the brain in school children

ABSTRACT

Increasing use of mobile phones [MPs] by the growing vulnerable children in Egypt arouses the question about their effect on the electrical activity of the brain. To detect the early effects of MP use on the electrical activity of the brain in children. Study population School-aged children of both sexes attending El-Sahel Teaching Hospital for mild illness. Thirty-three MP users and 40 non-users were given appointments after recovery to be recruited in the study. A questionnaire including psychiatric symptoms was filled followed by eliciting electroencephalography [EEG] after 5 minutes of MP use. The frequency of the psychiatric symptoms and EEG changes were significantly higher in the MP users than in non-users [p<0.05 and 0.01 respectively]. There is an increase in estimated risk [Odds ratio] of developing psychiatric symptoms and EEG changes in the MP users [3.9 and 5.8 respectively]. There was a significant increase in the frequency of the generalized paroxysmal waves in EEG among the MP users than non-users [33.3% Vs. 12.5% respectively] [p<0.01]. The effect of MP use on presence of psychiatric symptoms and on EEG in this study alarms the restriction of MP use by children