The advancement of technologies not only make people's lives a lot easier, but it has also become accessible to many, like the children. Compared to previous generations, children nowadays have more access to gadgets like cellphones, tablets or computers. But how do these devices affect their brains?

A team of researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) has conducted the first epidemiological study that aims to explore the relationship between the brain volume of preadolescents and the different doses of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF).

They gathered more than 2,500 Dutch children for their study and found that there was no association between the two factors. But the researchers did not rule out the possibility of an association between the use of mobile devices with a wireless internet connection and the smaller volume of the caudate nucleus.

No Association Found Between the Total Brain Volume and Overall RF-EMF Dose

For some time, the potential health hazard associated with the children's use of mobile devices have been a matter of concern. Their exposure to RF-EMF is of particular interest because the brain of a preadolescent child is still developing.

Although studies were already conducted before on this subject, they mostly assessed the two factors separately and ended up not finding any clear associations.

But with the new study, the researchers aimed to investigate brain volume alterations using an integrative approach which considers different sources of RF-EMF that will allow a more comprehensive assessment of the effect of RF-EMF exposure to the brain of adolescents.

The study involved more than 2,500 children aged 9-12 years in which parents are asked to complete a questionnaire on their children's use of mobile devices. The researchers then estimated the RF-EMF doses to the brain and grouped according to three exposure patterns: telephone calls, screen activities, and environmental factors like the mobile antenna, Science Daily reports.

To determine the volume of various parts of the brain, the researchers used Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

Based on the results, they found no association between the total or lobe-specific brain volume and the overall RF-EMF dose. Furthermore, they also discovered that brain volume has no relationship to the use of mobile devices for telephone calls in which primarily contributes to RF-EMF exposure to the brain.

However, they found a link between the smaller volume of the caudate nucleus and RF-EMF dose for screen activity on mobile phones, tablets, and laptops with a wireless internet connection.

Could Use-Related Factors Affect Brain Alterations?

According to the researchers, they cannot rule out the possibility that brain alterations may be linked to how children use mobile devices.

"More research is needed on mobile communication devices and their possible associations with brain development, regardless of whether the relationship is due to RF-EMF exposure or other factors related to the use of these devices," said study coordinator and ISGlobal researcher Mònica Guxens.

It was estimated that the whole-brain dose of RF-EMF would be at 84.3 mJ/kg/day, and the highest overall lobe-specific dose was observed in the temporal lobe at 307.1 mJ/kg/day. These doses are below the maximum values that the International Commission on non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) recommends.