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Belpomme D, Irigaray P. Response to Letter to the Editor: Electrohypersensitivity is always real. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 251:114839. [PMID: 36423669 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Belpomme
- Medical Oncology Department, Paris University, Paris, France; European Cancer and Environment Research Institute (ECERI), Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Philippe Irigaray
- European Cancer and Environment Research Institute (ECERI), Brussels, Belgium
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Köteles F, Nordin S. Do somatic symptom distress and attribution predict symptoms associated with environmental factors? J Psychosom Res 2024; 179:111637. [PMID: 38442536 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.111637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Not much is known on the development of symptoms associated with environmental factors (SAEF), also known as (idiopathic) environmental intolerances. Findings from qualitative studies suggest that appearance of symptoms might be the first step, followed by the acquisition of a specific attribution. The current study investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal (three years) associations between attribution and symptoms with respect to symptoms associated with chemical substances, certain indoor environments (buildings), sounds, and electromagnetic fields (EMFs). METHODS We used data from the first two waves of the population-based Västerbotten Environmental Health Study (n = 2336). Participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire Somatic Symptom Scale (PHQ-15), the Environmental Symptom-Attribution Scale, and answered single questions on the four aforementioned SAEFs. RESULTS Using binary logistic regression analyses, all four SAEFs showed significant cross-sectional associations with somatic symptom distress and the respective attribution. In the longitudinal analysis, development of SAEF-Sound and SAEF-Chemicals were predicted by both somatic symptom distress and attribution. SAEF-EMFs was predicted only by attribution, whereas neither somatic symptom distress nor attribution forecasted SAEF-Buildings. CONCLUSION Overall, these findings suggest that attribution (i.e., a specific expectation) plays a substantial role in the development and maintenance of many SAEFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferenc Köteles
- Institute of Psychology, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Steven Nordin
- Department of Psychology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
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Ben Ishai P, Davis D, Taylor H, Birnbaum L. Problems in evaluating the health impacts of radio frequency radiation. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 243:115038. [PMID: 36863648 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.115038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
In an effort to clarify the nature of causal evidence regarding the potential impacts of RFR on biological systems, this paper relies on a well-established framework for considering causation expanded from that of Bradford Hill, that combines experimental and epidemiological evidence on carcinogenesis of RFR. The Precautionary Principle, while not perfect, has been the effective lodestone for establishing public policy to guard the safety of the general public from potentially harmful materials, practices or technologies. Yet, when considering the exposure of the public to anthropogenic electromagnetic fields, especially those arising from mobile communications and their infrastructure, it seems to be ignored. The current exposure standards recommended by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) consider only thermal effects (tissue heating) as potentially harmful. However, there is mounting evidence of non-thermal effects of exposure to electromagnetic radiation in biological systems and human populations. We review the latest literature on in vitro and in vivo studies, on clinical studies on electromagnetic hypersensitivity, as well as the epidemiological evidence for cancer due to the action of mobile based radiation exposure. We question whether the current regulatory atmosphere truly serves the public good when considered in terms of the Precautionary Principle and the principles for deducing causation established by Bradford Hill. We conclude that there is substantial scientific evidence that RFR causes cancer, endocrinological, neurological and other adverse health effects. In light of this evidence the primary mission of public bodies, such as the FCC to protect public health has not been fulfilled. Rather, we find that industry convenience is being prioritized and thereby subjecting the public to avoidable risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Ben Ishai
- Department of Physics, Ariel University, Ariel, 4070000, Israel.
| | - Devra Davis
- Environmental Health Trust, Washington, DC, 20002, USA; School of Medicine,Ondokuz-Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey
| | - Hugh Taylor
- Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 05620, USA
| | - Linda Birnbaum
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, Durham, NC, 27709, USA
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MacKrill K, Witthöft M, Wessely S, Petrie KJ. Health Scares: Tracing Their Nature, Growth and Spread. CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY IN EUROPE 2023; 5:e12209. [PMID: 38357430 PMCID: PMC10863677 DOI: 10.32872/cpe.12209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Health scares are highly publicised threats to health that increase public concern and protective behaviours but are later shown to be unfounded. Although health scares have become more common in recent times, they have received very little research attention. This is despite the fact that health scares often have negative outcomes for individuals and community by affecting health behaviours and causing high levels of often unnecessary anxiety. Method In this paper we undertook a review and analysis of the major types of health scares as well as the background factors associated with health scares and their spread. Results We found most health scares fell into seven main categories; environmental contaminants, food, malicious incidents, medical treatments, public health interventions, radiation from technology and exotic diseases. For most health scares there are important background factors and incident characteristics that affect how they develop. Background factors include conspiracy theories, trust in governmental agencies, anxiety, modern health worries and wariness of chemicals. Incident characteristic include being newly developed, not understood or unseen, man-made rather than natural and whether the incident is out of personal control. We also identified the aspects of traditional and social media that exacerbate the rapid spread of health scares. Conclusion More research is needed to identify the characteristics of media stories that intensify the levels of public concern. Guidelines around the media's reporting of health incidents and potential health threats may be necessary in order to reduce levels of public anxiety and the negative public health impact of health scares.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate MacKrill
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Michael Witthöft
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Experimental Psychopathology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Simon Wessely
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Keith J. Petrie
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Nordin S, Köteles F, Witthöft M, Van den Bergh O, Nyback MH, Sainio M. Impact of comorbidity on symptomatology in various types of environmental intolerance in a general Swedish and Finnish adult population. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 229:115945. [PMID: 37080270 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Comorbidity with various health conditions is common in environmental intolerances (EIs), which restricts understanding for what symptoms that are associated with the intolerance per se. The present objectives were to study (i) prevalence of a broad range of specific symptoms in chemical, building-related, electromagnetic field- (EMF) related, and sound EI, irrespective of comorbidity, (ii) prevalence of symptoms in body systems in exclusive EIs, and (iii) increased risk of symptoms in body systems in exclusive EIs that cannot be referred to functional somatic syndromes, inflammatory diseases or mental disorders. Cross-sectional data (n = 4941) were used from two combined population-based surveys, the Västerbotten (Sweden) and Österbotten (Finland) Environmental Health Studies. Categorization of EI cases and controls were based on self-reports. Symptoms were assessed with the Environmental Hypersensitivity Symptom Inventory, and these were converted to 27 symptoms of the International Classification of Primary Care, 2nd edition, in eight chapters of body systems. The results showed, with few exceptions, that all assessed specific symptoms were significantly more prevalent in all four EIs than in referents. Although a large overlap between EIs, characteristic body system symptoms were eye and respiratory symptoms in chemical and building-related intolerance, skin symptoms in EMF-related intolerance, and general and unspecified, digestive, eye, cardiovascular, neurological, and psychological symptoms in sound intolerance. After controlling for various comorbidities, all studied body system symptoms were positively associated with chemical intolerance, fewer with sound intolerance, only one with building-related intolerance, and none with EMF-related EI. In conclusion, a broad range of symptoms are reported in all four EIs implying common mechanisms, but symptoms of certain body systems are more likely to be reported in a certain EI that cannot be explained by comorbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Nordin
- Department of Psychology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Ferenc Köteles
- Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Michael Witthöft
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, And Experimental Psychopathology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
| | | | | | - Markku Sainio
- Outpatient Clinic for Functional Disorders, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
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Pitron V, Haanes JV, Hillert L, Köteles FG, Léger D, Lemogne C, Nordin S, Szemerszky R, van Kamp I, van Thriel C, Witthöft M, Van den Bergh O. Electrohypersensitivity is always real. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 218:114840. [PMID: 36463993 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Victor Pitron
- Université Paris Cité, VIFASOM (Vigilance Fatigue Sommeil et Santé Publique), Paris, France; Centre du Sommeil et de la Vigilance-Pathologie professionnelle, APHP, Hôtel-Dieu, F-75004 Paris, France.
| | - Jan Vilis Haanes
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital of North Norway, NO-9038 Tromsø, Norway; Department of Community Medicine, University of Tromsø, NO-9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Lena Hillert
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Centre for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Stockholm County Council, SE-113 65 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Damien Léger
- Université Paris Cité, VIFASOM (Vigilance Fatigue Sommeil et Santé Publique), Paris, France; Centre du Sommeil et de la Vigilance-Pathologie professionnelle, APHP, Hôtel-Dieu, F-75004 Paris, France
| | - Cédric Lemogne
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1266, Institut de Psychiatrie et Neuroscience de Paris, F-75014 Paris, France; Service de Psychiatrie de l'adulte, AP-HP, Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu, F-75004 Paris, France
| | - Steven Nordin
- Department of Psychology, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Renáta Szemerszky
- Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Irene van Kamp
- Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Christoph van Thriel
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, TU Dortmund University, DE-44139 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Michael Witthöft
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Experimental Psychopathology, Johannes Gutenberg University, DE-55122 Mainz, Germany
| | - Omer Van den Bergh
- Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, BE-3000, Belgium
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Symptom Perception in Pathological Illness Anxiety: Tactile Sensitivity and Bias. Psychosom Med 2023; 85:79-88. [PMID: 36516317 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Symptom perception in pathological illness anxiety (PIA) might be biased so that somatic signals are overreported. In the somatic signal detection task (SSDT), performance in detecting weak tactile stimuli gives information on overreporting or underreporting of stimuli. This task has not yet been applied in PIA. METHODS Participants with PIA (n = 44) and healthy controls (n = 40) underwent two versions of the SSDT in randomized order. In the original version, tactile and auxiliary light-emitting diode (LED) stimuli were each presented in half of the trials. In the adapted version, illness or neutral words were presented alongside tactile stimuli. Participants also conducted a heartbeat mental tracking task. RESULTS We found significantly higher sensitivity and a more liberal response bias in LED versus no-LED trials, but no significant differences between word types. An interaction effect showed a more pronounced increase of sensitivity from no LED to LED trials in participants with PIA when compared with the adapted SSDT and control group (F(1,76) = 5.34, p = .024, η2 = 0.066). Heartbeat perception scores did not differ between groups (BF01 of 3.63). CONCLUSIONS The increase in sensitivity from no LED to LED trials in participants with PIA suggests stronger multisensory integration. Low sensitivity in the adapted SSDT indicates that attentional resources were exhausted by processing word stimuli. Word effects on response bias might have carried over to the original SSDT when the word version was presented first, compromising group effects regarding bias. TRIAL REGISTRATION The study was preregistered on OSF (https://osf.io/sna5v/).
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Leszczynski D. Review of the scientific evidence on the individual sensitivity to electromagnetic fields (EHS). REVIEWS ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2022; 37:423-450. [PMID: 34229366 DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2021-0038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Part of the population considers themselves as sensitive to the man-made electromagnetic radiation (EMF) emitted by powerlines, electric wiring, electric home appliance and the wireless communication devices and networks. Sensitivity is characterized by a broad variety of non-specific symptoms that the sensitive people claim to experience when exposed to EMF. While the experienced symptoms are currently considered as a real life impairment, the factor causing these symptoms remains unclear. So far, scientists were unable to find causality link between symptoms experienced by sensitive persons and the exposures to EMF. However, as presented in this review, the executed to-date scientific studies, examining sensitivity to EMF, are of poor quality to find the link between EMF exposures and sensitivity symptoms of some people. It is logical to consider that the sensitivity to EMF exists but the scientific methodology used to find it is of insufficient quality. It is time to drop out psychology driven provocation studies that ask about feelings-based non-specific symptoms experienced by volunteers under EMF exposure. Such research approach produces only subjective and therefore highly unreliable data that is insufficient to prove, or to disprove, causality link between EHS and EMF. There is a need for a new direction in studying sensitivity to EMF. The basis for it is the notion of a commonly known phenomenon of individual sensitivity, where individuals' responses to EMF depend on the genetic and epigenetic properties of the individual. It is proposed here that new studies, combining provocation approach, where volunteers are exposed to EMF, and high-throughput technologies of transcriptomics and proteomics are used to generate objective data, detecting molecular level biochemical responses of human body to EMF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dariusz Leszczynski
- Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Interoceptive accuracy and bias in somatic symptom disorder, illness anxiety disorder, and functional syndromes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271717. [PMID: 35980959 PMCID: PMC9387777 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatic symptom disorder, illness anxiety disorder, and functional syndromes are characterized by burdensome preoccupation with somatic symptoms. Etiological models propose either increased interoceptive accuracy through hypervigilance to the body, or decreased and biased interoception through top-down predictions about sensory events. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes findings of 68 studies examining interoceptive accuracy and 8 studies examining response biases in clinical or non-clinical groups. Analyses yielded a medium population effect size for decreased interoceptive accuracy in functional syndromes, but no observable effect in somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder. The overall effect size was highly heterogeneous. Regarding response bias, there was a small significant effect in somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder. Our findings strengthen the notion of top-down factors that result in biased rather than accurate perception of body signals in somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder.
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Boehmert C, Witthöft M, Van den Bergh O. Causal perception is central in electromagnetic hypersensitivity - a commentary on "Electromagnetic hypersensitivity: a critical review of explanatory hypotheses''. Environ Health 2020; 19:122. [PMID: 33239049 PMCID: PMC7687994 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-020-00652-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We highly welcome and appreciate the paper of Dieudonné, 2020 ( https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-020-00602-0 ) on the important but frequently neglected topic of hypersensitivity towards electromagnetic fields (EHS). We agree with the author that the electromagnetic hypothesis (that EHS is caused by exposure to electromagnetic fields) appears scientifically largely unfounded and that other theoretical approaches focussing on psychological processes are more plausible and promising. In the view of the author, two such approaches exist, namely a "cognitive hypothesis" (derived from the comprehensive model by Van den Bergh et al., 2017) and an "attributive hypothesis" as suggested by the author. In this commentary, we want to argue (a) that the distinction between the cognitive and the attributive hypothesis is inaccurate at the conceptual level; (b) that the distinction is also misleading at the mechanistic level, due to an incorrect interpretation of the evidence related to the cognitive hypothesis; and (c) that, by using the term "cognitive hypothesis", the existing comprehensive model is inappropriately narrowed down without fully appreciating its explanatory power for the phenomena subsumed under both the cognitive and attributive hypothesis. Therefore, the original term "comprehensive model" should be used rather than the label "cognitive hypothesis".
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Witthöft
- Department for Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Experimental Psychopathology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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