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Brain & Nervous System211 citations

Effects of electromagnetic field emitted by cellular phones on the EEG during a memory task.

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Krause CM, Sillanmaki L, Koivisto M, Haggqvist A, Saarela C, Revonsuo A, Laine M, Hamalainen H · 2000

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Cell phone radiation measurably disrupts brain wave patterns during memory tasks, suggesting cognitive interference beyond simple heating effects.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Finnish researchers exposed 16 people to 902 MHz cell phone radiation while they performed memory tasks, measuring brain activity through EEG recordings. They found that cell phone radiation significantly altered brain wave patterns during memory encoding and retrieval, even though it didn't affect resting brain activity. This suggests that EMF exposure specifically disrupts the brain's electrical activity when it's actively working on cognitive tasks.

Why This Matters

This study provides compelling evidence that cell phone radiation doesn't just passively exist near your brain - it actively interferes with your brain's electrical activity during cognitive tasks. The 902 MHz frequency used here falls within the range of older digital cell phones, and the fact that effects were seen across multiple brain wave frequencies suggests the interference is broad-based, not limited to one specific type of brain activity. What makes this research particularly significant is that it shows EMF effects are task-dependent, meaning your brain may be most vulnerable to interference when you're actively using it for memory, learning, or other cognitive functions. This aligns with growing evidence that EMF exposure timing matters as much as intensity - your brain during a phone call or while texting may be experiencing measurable electrical disruption that could affect cognitive performance.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 6 Hz - 902 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 6 Hz - 902 MHzPower lines50/60 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 4-6 Hz, 6-8 Hz, 8-10 Hz and 10-12 Hz, and 902 MHz

Study Details

The effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by cellular phones on the ERD/ERS of the 4-6 Hz, 6-8 Hz, 8-10 Hz and 10-12 Hz EEG frequency bands were studied in 16 normal subjects performing an auditory memory task.

All subjects performed the memory task both with and without exposure to a digital 902 MHz EMF in co...

The exposure to EMF significantly increased EEG power in the 8-10 Hz frequency band only. Nonetheles...

Our results suggest that the exposure to EMF does not alter the resting EEG per se but modifies the brain responses significantly during a memory task.

Cite This Study
Krause CM, Sillanmaki L, Koivisto M, Haggqvist A, Saarela C, Revonsuo A, Laine M, Hamalainen H (2000). Effects of electromagnetic field emitted by cellular phones on the EEG during a memory task. Neuroreport 11(4):761-764, 2000.
Show BibTeX
@article{cm_2000_effects_of_electromagnetic_field_2308,
  author = {Krause CM and Sillanmaki L and Koivisto M and Haggqvist A and Saarela C and Revonsuo A and Laine M and Hamalainen H},
  title = {Effects of electromagnetic field emitted by cellular phones on the EEG during a memory task.},
  year = {2000},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10757515/},
}
PubMed: 10757515

Cited By (211 papers)

View all 211 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, Finnish researchers found that 902 MHz cell phone radiation significantly altered brain wave patterns when people performed memory tasks. The radiation increased 8-10 Hz brain wave power and changed brain responses during both memory encoding and retrieval, though it didn't affect resting brain activity.
Research shows 902 MHz cell phone radiation disrupts brain electrical activity specifically during cognitive tasks like memory work. A 2000 Finnish study found EMF altered brain responses in all frequency bands during memory encoding and retrieval, suggesting cognitive processes are particularly vulnerable to EMF interference.
Yes, 902 MHz cell phone radiation affects your brain differently during mental tasks compared to rest. Finnish researchers discovered EMF exposure didn't change resting brain waves but significantly modified brain responses when people actively performed memory tasks, indicating task-specific brain vulnerability.
The 8-10 Hz brain wave frequency band shows the most significant increases during 902 MHz cell phone radiation exposure. However, Finnish research found that EMF altered brain responses across all studied frequency bands (4-6 Hz, 6-8 Hz, 8-10 Hz, and 10-12 Hz) during memory tasks.
Finnish researchers found 902 MHz cell phone radiation affects both memory encoding and retrieval processes differently. The EMF exposure altered brain wave responses as a function of time and specific memory task type, suggesting radiation impacts various stages of memory processing in distinct ways.