Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.
Electromagnetic hypersensitivity: a systematic review of provocation studies
Authors not listed · 2005
Meta-analyses found no evidence of an improved ability to detect EMF in hypersensitive participants.
Plain English Summary
Researchers conducted a systematic review of provocation studies. Thirty-one experiments testing 725 "electromagnetically hypersensitive" participants were identified. Twenty-four experiments found no evidence of biophysical hypersensitivity, while seven reported some supporting evidence. Meta-analyses found no evidence of an improved ability to detect EMF in hypersensitive participants.
Why This Matters
For two of the seven positive studies, the same research groups subsequently tried and failed to replicate their findings. In three more studies, the positive results appear to be statistical artefacts. The final two studies gave mutually incompatible results. The symptoms described by electromagnetic hypersensitivity sufferers can be severe and are sometimes disabling. However, it has proved difficult to show under blind conditions that EMF exposure can trigger these symptoms. This suggests that electromagnetic hypersensitivity is unrelated to the presence of EMF, although more research is required.
Show BibTeX
@article{electromagnetic_hypersensitivity_a_systematic_review_of_provocation_studies_ce1691,
author = {Unknown},
title = {Electromagnetic hypersensitivity: a systematic review of provocation studies},
year = {2005},
doi = {10.1097/01.psy.0000155664.13300.64},
}