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Brain & Nervous System147 citations

Effect of a 902 MHz electromagnetic field emitted by mobile phones on human cognitive function: A replication study.

No Effects Found

Haarala C, Bjornberg L, Ek M, Laine M, Revonsuo A, Koivisto M, Hamalainen H. · 2003

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This rigorous replication study found no cognitive effects from 902 MHz mobile phone EMF, highlighting the inconsistent nature of EMF research findings.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed 64 people to electromagnetic fields from 902 MHz mobile phones while they performed cognitive tests measuring reaction time and accuracy. Unlike their previous study that found some effects, this improved replication study with better controls found no differences in brain function whether the phone signal was on or off. The results suggest that mobile phone EMF either has no immediate impact on cognitive performance or any effects are too small to detect consistently.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 902 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 902 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

The study examined exposure from: 902 MHz

Study Details

Our study was a replication and extension with methodological improvements to a previous study on effects of the electromagnetic field (EMF) emitted by a 902 MHz mobile phone on human cognitive functioning. Improvements on the previous study included multicentre testing and a double blind design

A total of 64 subjects (32 men and 32 women) in two independent laboratories performed a battery of ...

There were no statistically significant differences in performance between genders or laboratories. ...

We concluded that EMF had no effect on RTs or on the accuracy of the subjects' answers. Further, our results indicate that our EMF had no immediate effect on human cognitive functioning or that such effects are so small that they are observed on behavior only occasionally.

Cite This Study
Haarala C, Bjornberg L, Ek M, Laine M, Revonsuo A, Koivisto M, Hamalainen H. (2003). Effect of a 902 MHz electromagnetic field emitted by mobile phones on human cognitive function: A replication study. Bioelectromagnetics 24(4):283-288, 2003.
Show BibTeX
@article{c_2003_effect_of_a_902_3056,
  author = {Haarala C and Bjornberg L and Ek M and Laine M and Revonsuo A and Koivisto M and Hamalainen H.},
  title = {Effect of a 902 MHz electromagnetic field emitted by mobile phones on human cognitive function: A replication study.},
  year = {2003},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12696088/},
}
PubMed: 12696088

Cited By (147 papers)

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Quick Questions About This Study

No, 902 MHz mobile phone radiation does not affect reaction time according to a 2003 study of 64 people. Researchers found no statistically significant differences in reaction times whether the phone signal was on or off during cognitive testing.
No, 902 MHz EMF from mobile phones does not improve cognitive test accuracy. A controlled study by Haarala and colleagues found no differences in answer accuracy between EMF exposure and no exposure conditions during cognitive performance tests.
The 2003 replication study used better experimental controls than the previous research. While earlier work suggested some cognitive effects from 902 MHz EMF, the improved methodology found no significant impacts on brain function or performance.
No, men and women show no differences in cognitive response to 902 MHz phone signals. The study found no statistically significant performance differences between genders when exposed to mobile phone electromagnetic fields during testing.
Yes, any cognitive effects from 902 MHz mobile phone EMF may be too small for consistent detection. Researchers concluded that if effects exist, they are so minimal that they only appear occasionally in behavioral studies.