Mobile phone effects on children's event-related oscillatory EEG during an auditory memory task.
Krause CM, Bjornberg CH, Pesonen M, Hulten A, Liesivuori T, Koivisto M, Revonsuo A, Laine M, Hamalainen H. · 2006
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation measurably altered brain wave patterns in children during memory tasks, showing real-time neurological effects from everyday exposure levels.
Plain English Summary
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
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.
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/},
}