Neurological changes induced by a mobile phone.
Hocking B, Westerman R. · 2002
View Original AbstractMobile phone use caused measurable nerve changes in a woman's scalp, providing first objective evidence for phone-related neurological symptoms.
Plain English Summary
Researchers studied a 34-year-old journalist who experienced unusual sensations on her scalp after using her mobile phone. Using nerve testing before and after phone exposure, they found measurable changes in the nerve fibers on the side of her head where she held the phone compared to the opposite side. This provides the first objective evidence that mobile phones can cause detectable neurological changes in some people who report phone-related symptoms.
Why This Matters
This case study represents a breakthrough in understanding electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) - the condition where people report symptoms from EMF exposure that mainstream medicine has largely dismissed as psychosomatic. The researchers didn't just rely on the woman's subjective reports; they used objective nerve testing that revealed measurable changes in C-fiber nerves, which transmit pain and temperature sensations. What makes this particularly significant is that the changes were localized to exactly where she held the phone, providing a clear dose-response relationship. While this is just one case study, it opens the door to understanding that some people may indeed have measurable physiological responses to mobile phone radiation. The reality is that we're all exposed to similar RF radiation levels during phone calls, but individual sensitivity clearly varies - and this study suggests that sensitivity isn't just 'in people's heads' but may have a real neurological basis.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
We report a case of a 34-year-old journalist who complained of symptoms associated with use of a mobile phone.
She agreed to a provocation study with her phone. Current perception threshold testing before and af...
The case is supportive of a neurological basis for some cases of dysaesthesiae associated with mobil...
Show BibTeX
@article{b_2002_neurological_changes_induced_by_2201,
author = {Hocking B and Westerman R.},
title = {Neurological changes induced by a mobile phone.},
year = {2002},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12422029/},
}