Previous research on older RF-EMF technologies showed increased EEG power in the spindle frequency band (11–16 Hz) during NREM sleep. Furthermore, RF-EMF is known to activate L-type voltage-gated calcium channels (LTCC), which are associated with sleep quality and brainwave patterns. This research explores whether the rs7304986 genetic variant in the CACNA1C gene, which codes for the α1C subunit of LTCC, influences how 5G RF-EMF affects EEG spindle activity during NREM sleep. A total of 34 individuals, genetically tested for the rs7304986 variant (15 with T/C and 19 with T/T genotypes), participated in a double-blind, sham-controlled experiment involving 30 minutes of standardized 5G RF-EMF exposure (3.6 GHz and 700 MHz) to the left side of the head prior to sleep. The results indicate that 3.6 GHz 5G RF-EMF influences the central frequency of sleep spindles during NREM sleep, depending on an individual's CACNA1C genotype. This suggests LTCCs may play a role in the brain’s response to RF-EMF and highlights the importance of continued research on the neurological effects of 5G. Although the area exposed in the experiment was greater than that of a typical user device, the exposure levels are comparable to those experienced in real-world 5G network use. This study found that exposing individuals with the T/C genotype of the rs7304986 variant in the CACNA1C gene to a realistic 5G EMF signal before sleep increases the center frequency of EEG sleep spindles during NREM. While the impact of this variant on Cav1.2 channel function remains unclear, it is significant that previous genome-wide studies also found T/C carriers report taking longer to fall asleep compared to T/T carriers. |
Last modified on 01-Aug-25 |