8,700 Studies Reviewed. 87.0% Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
Shield Your Body
Brain & Nervous System

Mobile phone effects on children's event-related oscillatory EEG during an auditory memory task.

Bioeffects Seen

Krause CM, Bjornberg CH, Pesonen M, Hulten A, Liesivuori T, Koivisto M, Revonsuo A, Laine M, Hamalainen H. · 2006

View Original Abstract
Share:

Cell phone radiation measurably altered brain wave patterns in children during memory tasks, showing real-time neurological effects from everyday exposure levels.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Finnish researchers studied how mobile phone radiation affects brain activity in 15 children (ages 10-14) while they performed memory tasks. When exposed to 902 MHz radiation from an active phone, the children showed measurable changes in their brain wave patterns during both memory encoding and recognition phases. This demonstrates that cell phone radiation can directly alter brain function in developing minds, even during short-term exposure.

Why This Matters

This study provides compelling evidence that mobile phone radiation doesn't just potentially cause long-term health effects - it actively changes how children's brains function in real-time. The researchers found clear alterations in brain wave patterns at frequencies associated with cognitive processing, particularly in the 4-8 Hz range linked to memory formation. What makes this especially concerning is that children's developing brains are more vulnerable to EMF exposure due to their thinner skulls and higher water content. The 902 MHz frequency used in this study is similar to what many cell phones emit today, meaning these findings are directly relevant to the devices children use daily. While we don't yet know if these brain wave changes translate to learning problems or other cognitive issues, the fact that we can measure immediate neurological effects should give parents pause about unlimited device use by their children.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 20 Hz - 902 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 20 Hz - 902 MHzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 1 - 20 Hz, 902 MHz

Study Details

To assess the effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by mobile phones (MP) on the 1 - 20 Hz event-related brain oscillatory EEG (electroencephalogram) responses in children performing an auditory memory task (encoding and recognition).

EEG data were gathered while 15 subjects (age 10 - 14 years) performed an auditory memory task both ...

During memory encoding, the active MP modulated the event-related desynchronization/synchronization ...

The current findings suggest that EMF emitted by mobile phones has effects on brain oscillatory responses during cognitive processing in children.

Cite This Study
Krause CM, Bjornberg CH, Pesonen M, Hulten A, Liesivuori T, Koivisto M, Revonsuo A, Laine M, Hamalainen H. (2006). Mobile phone effects on children's event-related oscillatory EEG during an auditory memory task. Int J Radiat Biol. 82(6):443-450, 2006.
Show BibTeX
@article{cm_2006_mobile_phone_effects_on_2310,
  author = {Krause CM and Bjornberg CH and Pesonen M and Hulten A and Liesivuori T and Koivisto M and Revonsuo A and Laine M and Hamalainen H.},
  title = {Mobile phone effects on children's event-related oscillatory EEG during an auditory memory task.},
  year = {2006},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16846979/},
}
PubMed: 16846979

Cited By (63 papers)

View all 63 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, Finnish researchers found that 902 MHz radiation from active mobile phones altered brain wave patterns in children aged 10-14 during memory tasks. The study showed measurable changes in 4-8 Hz brain frequencies during both memory encoding and recognition phases.
Research demonstrates that children's developing brains show detectable responses to cell phone radiation during cognitive processing. A 2006 study found that 902 MHz EMF from active phones modulated brain oscillatory responses in 4-8 Hz and 15 Hz frequencies during memory tasks.
Mobile phone EMF directly affects event-related brain activity in children by altering desynchronization and synchronization patterns. The study found that 902 MHz radiation transformed brain oscillatory responses in multiple frequency bands during cognitive processing tasks.
Children's brains show changes in 4-8 Hz frequencies during memory encoding and both 4-8 Hz and 15 Hz frequencies during memory recognition when exposed to 902 MHz phone radiation. These alterations occur in real-time during cognitive tasks.
Yes, active mobile phones alter auditory memory processing in children's brains. Research found that 902 MHz radiation from functioning phones changed brain wave patterns during both memory encoding and recognition phases of auditory memory tasks in children aged 10-14.