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Brain & Nervous System

No effect on cognitive function from daily mobile phone use.

No Effects Found

Besset A, Espa F, Dauvilliers Y, Billiard M, de Seze R. · 2005

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Daily mobile phone use for 2 hours showed no cognitive impairment effects when tested after a 13-hour rest period.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

French researchers tested whether daily mobile phone use affects cognitive function by having 55 people use phones for 2 hours a day, 5 days a week for nearly a month. They found no measurable effects on memory, attention, information processing, or executive function compared to a control group using inactive phones. This suggests that typical daily phone use doesn't immediately impair cognitive performance, at least when tested after a 13-hour rest period.

Why This Matters

This study provides reassuring evidence that daily mobile phone use doesn't produce immediate, measurable cognitive impairment. The researchers used a robust double-blind design over 45 days, testing multiple cognitive domains with a comprehensive battery of 22 neuropsychological tasks. What makes this study particularly relevant is that the 2-hour daily exposure mirrors heavy but realistic phone usage patterns. However, we should note some limitations: the study only measured cognitive effects after a 13-hour rest period, potentially missing acute effects that occur during or immediately after phone use. Additionally, this 2005 research used GSM 900 technology, which differs from today's smartphones that emit multiple types of RF radiation simultaneously. While these findings suggest daily phone use doesn't cause lasting cognitive deficits, they don't address other potential health effects or the cumulative impact of our dramatically increased EMF exposure since 2005.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. Duration: 2 h/day, 5 days/week

Study Details

This study investigated the effects of daily exposure to GSM 900 type MP on cognitive function.

Fifty-five subjects (27 male and 28 female) were divided into two groups: a group with MP switched o...

Our results indicate that daily MP use has no effect on cognitive function after a 13-h rest period.

Cite This Study
Besset A, Espa F, Dauvilliers Y, Billiard M, de Seze R. (2005). No effect on cognitive function from daily mobile phone use. Bioelectromagnetics. 26(2):102-108, 2005.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_2005_no_effect_on_cognitive_2953,
  author = {Besset A and Espa F and Dauvilliers Y and Billiard M and de Seze R.},
  title = {No effect on cognitive function from daily mobile phone use.},
  year = {2005},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15672372/},
}
PubMed: 15672372

Cited By (85 papers)

View all 85 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

A 2005 French study found no cognitive effects from using phones 2 hours daily for nearly a month. Fifty-five participants showed no changes in memory, attention, or information processing compared to controls using inactive phones after 13-hour rest periods.
Research suggests daily 2-hour phone use for weeks doesn't impair cognitive function when tested after adequate rest. A controlled study found no measurable effects on executive function, memory, or attention from this level of regular mobile phone exposure.
Yes, a 2005 French study by Besset and colleagues found daily mobile phone use safe for cognitive performance. Participants using phones 2 hours daily for 5 days weekly showed no brain function impairment compared to control groups after rest periods.
A month-long study found no memory damage from regular phone use. Fifty-five people using phones 2 hours daily, 5 days weekly showed no memory, attention, or information processing changes compared to inactive phone users after 13-hour breaks.
Research indicates 13-hour rest periods allow full cognitive recovery between phone sessions. A study testing 2-hour daily phone use found no lingering effects on brain function when cognitive tests occurred after these extended rest intervals.