محمدناصح طالبی

With the wide spread of electromagnetic waves in living environment, concerns about the harmful effects of these waves on human health have increased. However, many studies have been conducted on the biological effects of non-ionizing radiation, but there is no certainty about the effects of these radiation, especially on the nervous system. The achieved results from studies have many differences and even conflicting results have been reported. According to the previous studies, it is not yet concluded whether non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation damaging to the nervous system.  The purpose of this study is to analyze published articles about the effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation on the nervous system in order to extract quantitative data on the effects of these waves. The purpose of this study is to analyze published articles about the effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation on the nervous system in order to extract quantitative data on the effects of these waves. At first, the articles published in the ORSAA database were reviewed and divided into two categories: cellular and molecular parameters and neurological and cognitive parameters. The results obtained from the reviews and quantitative analyzes of the articles in the ORSAA database showed that in the category of cellular and molecular parameters, non-ionizing electromagnetic waves have the greatest effect on the change of enzyme activity and damage to proteins with 418 cases. Also, in the category of neurological and cognitive parameters, non-ionizing waves have the greatest effect on behavior and cognitive effects with 171 reported cases.

One of the critical parts of human life is sleeping. Sleep Deprivation (SD) is defined as sleep-loss status generally caused by personal or environmental reasons. It becomes an inherent problem to shift work, e.g., Intensive Care Unit (ICU) physicians or drivers, is prevalent in modern society and profoundly affectscognitive function, attention, learning, and working memory.

The data set obtained from Stockholm University in the Sleepy Brain project was evaluated using brain image analysis software, FSL. The statistical double regression method was used to investigate the significant differences between different brain regions. According to the Yeo Atlas, the components of the independent group analysis were assigned to seven brain networks. For this purpose, the brain communication matrix was calculated for two fundamental quantities before and after SD. The first quantity is the intra-network communication for each network’s independent components, and the second quantity is the intra-network communication, indicating the weakening or strengthening of the communication between the seven introduced networks.

A significant difference was found between N1 and N5 networks (Five networks related to visual function and limbic network) among five networks for which intra-network comparison is possible. In addition, significant differences were observed between networks for N1-N7, N2-N6, N3-N7, and finally, N4-N6 networks in SD and normal conditions.

The relationship between visual and limbic networks between regions and brain networks that are statistically significant in people with SD and normal people can be interpreted as affecting the cognitive functions of memory and attention.

People's driving style is affected by neuropsychological and neurological functions, and impairment in drivers' executive and neurological functions, as human factors, plays an important role in traffic accidents. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the factors that lead to disruption of these functions. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of sleep disorders and stress coping styles in executive and neurological functions of drivers.

The research method was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population consisted of bus drivers in the terminals of Tehran in the second half of 2020, from which 250 drivers were selected by multi-stage random sampling. Data were collected by executive function tests (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Nback Test, Classic Stroop Test and Go/No-go Test, neurological function tests ,Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES) and Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (EHI)), Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The suitability of the proposed model was assessed by performing structural equation modeling using SPSS24 and Amos24 software.

The results showed that the proposed model with two modifications and elimination of non-significant pathways of sleep disorders and coping styles with superiority as one of the measures of neurological functions has a good fit with the data (p<0.05). Pathways of sleep disorders, emotion-centered coping styles and avoidance to executive functions were negative and significant (p<0.05), while the pathways of sleep disorders and these coping styles to neurological functions were positive and significant (p<0.01). The pathways of problem-oriented coping style to executive functions were positive and significant (p>0.05), but the pathways of this coping style to neurological functions were not significant (p>0.05).

Assessing and considering sleep disorders and the type of coping styles of drivers is necessary in order to provide solutions to improve the executive and neurological functions of drivers.