Confronting Risk of Bias in RF Bioeffects Research. Comments on Two Papers by Vijayalaxmi and Prihoda

https://doi.org/10.1667/RR15478.1

In two meritorious published articles (1, 2 ), Vijayalaxmi and Prihoda reviewed 225 published laboratory studies with a total of 2,160 individual tests on genetic damage to mammalian cells from exposure to radiofrequency (RF) energy. This work extended their previously published reviews covering the time periods, 1990–2005 (3 ) and 1990–2011 (4 ). The work raises questions about how to improve the quality of RF bioeffects research.

Vijayalaxmi and Prihoda applied four quality criteria to each article: 1. adequacy of exposure assessment; 2. blinded design; 3. use of positive controls; and 4. sham exposures. They also examined study outcomes, i.e., whether or not studies reported statistically significant effects of exposure, and effect size (Cohen's d, the sample estimate of the standardized mean difference between control and exposed cells). Their results were summarized...