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Brain & Nervous System

de Tommaso M, Rossi P, Falsaperla R, Francesco Vde V, Santoro R, Federici A

Bioeffects Seen

Authors not listed · 2009

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Cell phone exposure measurably reduces brain alertness and attention processing, even in sham conditions.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed 10 healthy volunteers to 900 MHz GSM cell phone signals and measured brain electrical activity using event-related potentials. Both active phones and sham phones (with electromagnetic power dissipated internally) reduced brain arousal responses compared to phones that were completely off. This suggests cell phone exposure affects brain electrical activity and attention processing.

Why This Matters

This study reveals something concerning about how our brains respond to cell phone exposure. The researchers found that 900 MHz GSM signals reduced what's called the contingent negative variation - essentially a measure of how alert and ready your brain is to respond to incoming information. What makes this particularly significant is that even the sham condition (where the phone's RF was blocked but other electrical components remained active) showed similar effects, suggesting multiple pathways for biological impact.

The science demonstrates that cell phone exposure doesn't just potentially affect us through the main RF signal - the extremely low frequency fields from batteries and internal circuits may also play a role. This aligns with growing evidence that our brains are remarkably sensitive to electromagnetic fields across multiple frequency ranges. While the study was small, it used rigorous double-blind methodology and found measurable changes in brain function during typical phone use scenarios.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 900 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 900 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
Unknown (2009). de Tommaso M, Rossi P, Falsaperla R, Francesco Vde V, Santoro R, Federici A.
Show BibTeX
@article{de_tommaso_m_rossi_p_falsaperla_r_francesco_vde_v_santoro_r_federici_a_ce3202,
  author = {Unknown},
  title = {de Tommaso M, Rossi P, Falsaperla R, Francesco Vde V, Santoro R, Federici A},
  year = {2009},
  doi = {10.1016/j.neulet.2009.08.045},
  
}
DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2009.08.045PubMed: 19699778

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, this study found that 900 MHz GSM exposure reduced brain electrical responses called contingent negative variation, which measures alertness and attention. The effect occurred across the entire scalp, not just near the phone location.
Contingent negative variation (CNV) is a brain wave pattern that shows how alert and ready your brain is to respond to expected stimuli. It's measured using electrodes on the scalp and reflects attention and anticipation processes.
The sham phones had their electromagnetic power dissipated internally but still contained active batteries and circuits producing extremely low frequency magnetic fields. This suggests multiple electromagnetic pathways can influence brain function beyond just the main RF signal.
Each volunteer was exposed for 10 minutes in each of three conditions: active GSM phone, sham phone, and phone completely off. Brain activity was continuously monitored throughout each exposure period using electrode measurements.
Surprisingly, no. Although phones were placed on the left side of participants' heads, the brain activity changes were diffuse across the entire scalp rather than concentrated on the left side where exposure was highest.