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Gender related differences on the EEG during a simulated mobile phone signal.

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Papageorgiou CC, Nanou ED, Tsiafakis VG, Capsalis CN, Rabavilas AD · 2004

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Cell phone radiation affects men's and women's brains differently, with male brain activity decreasing and female activity increasing during exposure.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed 19 people to 900 MHz cell phone signals while measuring their brain activity with EEG. They found that men and women responded differently to the radiation - men's brain activity decreased while women's increased during exposure. Memory performance wasn't affected, but the study reveals that cell phone radiation affects male and female brains in opposite ways.

Why This Matters

This study adds an important dimension to EMF research by demonstrating that biological sex influences how our brains respond to cell phone radiation. The 900 MHz frequency used matches older 2G networks, though today's phones operate on multiple frequencies simultaneously at potentially higher power levels. What makes this research particularly significant is that it challenges the one-size-fits-all approach to EMF safety standards. If men's and women's brains respond differently to the same radiation exposure, it raises questions about whether current safety guidelines adequately protect both sexes. The reality is that most EMF research has historically treated biological responses as uniform across populations, but studies like this suggest we need more nuanced understanding of how factors like sex, age, and individual sensitivity affect our vulnerability to electromagnetic fields.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 900 MHz

Study Details

The present study investigated the gender-related influence of electromagnetic fields (EMF), similar to that emitted by mobile phones, on brain activity.

Ten women and nine men performed a short memory task (Wechsler test), both without (baseline) and wi...

Baseline EEG energy of males was greater than that of females, while exposure to EMF decreased EEG e...

These findings indicate that EMF may exert a gender-related nfluence on brain activity.

Cite This Study
Papageorgiou CC, Nanou ED, Tsiafakis VG, Capsalis CN, Rabavilas AD (2004). Gender related differences on the EEG during a simulated mobile phone signal. Neuroreport. 15(16):2557-2560, 2004.
Show BibTeX
@article{cc_2004_gender_related_differences_on_2512,
  author = {Papageorgiou CC and Nanou ED and Tsiafakis VG and Capsalis CN and Rabavilas AD},
  title = {Gender related differences on the EEG during a simulated mobile phone signal.},
  year = {2004},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15538195/},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers exposed 19 people to 900 MHz cell phone signals while measuring their brain activity with EEG. They found that men and women responded differently to the radiation - men's brain activity decreased while women's increased during exposure. Memory performance wasn't affected, but the study reveals that cell phone radiation affects male and female brains in opposite ways.