A meta-analysis for neurobehavioral effects due to electromagnetic field exposure emitted by GSM mobile phones.
Barth A, Winker R, Ponocny-Seliger E, Mayrhofer W, Ponocny I, Sauter C, Vana N. · 2008
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation measurably alters brain function during cognitive tasks, affecting both attention speed and working memory accuracy.
Plain English Summary
Researchers analyzed 19 studies on how cell phone radiation affects brain function, focusing on attention and memory tasks. They found that exposure to GSM mobile phone frequencies (900-1800 MHz) caused small but measurable changes in reaction times and working memory performance, including faster responses on simple tasks but slower responses and more errors on complex memory tasks. This suggests that the radiofrequency radiation from phones may subtly influence how our brains process information.
Why This Matters
This meta-analysis represents exactly the kind of rigorous scientific approach we need in EMF research. By pooling data from multiple studies, the researchers overcame the limitations of individual small-scale experiments and found consistent patterns that might otherwise be dismissed as statistical noise. The findings are particularly significant because they demonstrate measurable cognitive effects at the very frequencies our phones emit during calls and data transmission. What makes this research especially credible is that it only included studies with proper blinding protocols and rigorous methodology, filtering out weaker research that might skew results. The reality is that these 'small' effects on attention and working memory could have meaningful real-world implications when you consider that billions of people are exposed to these frequencies daily, often for hours at a time.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
In order to try and clarify this issue, the current study carried out a meta-analysis on 19 experimental studies.
Nineteen studies were taken into consideration. Ten of them were included in the meta-analysis as th...
Attention measured by the subtraction task seems to be affected in regard to decreased reaction time...
Results of the meta-analysis suggest that EMFs may have a small impact on human attention and working memory.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_2008_a_metaanalysis_for_neurobehavioral_1883,
author = {Barth A and Winker R and Ponocny-Seliger E and Mayrhofer W and Ponocny I and Sauter C and Vana N.},
title = {A meta-analysis for neurobehavioral effects due to electromagnetic field exposure emitted by GSM mobile phones.},
year = {2008},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17928386/},
}