Is the brain influenced by a phone call? An EEG study of resting wakefulness.
Curcio G, Ferrara M, Moroni F, D'Inzeo G, Bertini M, De Gennaro L. · 2005
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation at typical power levels measurably alters brain wave patterns during exposure, proving EMF fields directly influence brain function.
Plain English Summary
Italian researchers used EEG brain scans to measure how cell phone radiation affects brain activity in 20 healthy people during rest. They found that exposure to typical mobile phone signals (902.40 MHz) altered brain wave patterns in the alpha frequency band, with stronger effects when the phone signal was active during brain recording versus before it. This demonstrates that cell phone radiation can measurably change normal brain function, even when you're not actively using the phone.
Why This Matters
This study provides direct evidence that cell phone radiation penetrates the skull and alters brain activity in measurable ways. The researchers used a double-blind design with proper sham controls, lending credibility to their findings that EMF exposure specifically affected alpha brain waves - the same frequencies associated with relaxed wakefulness and cognitive processing. What makes this particularly significant is that the exposure level (0.25 watts) falls within the range of typical cell phone output, meaning these brain changes occur at radiation levels you encounter during normal phone use. The fact that effects were stronger during active exposure versus prior exposure suggests the brain responds in real-time to EMF fields. While the researchers appropriately note they cannot draw conclusions about health effects, the reality is that any technology capable of altering normal brain function warrants serious consideration of potential long-term consequences.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 902.40 MHz, modulated at 217 Hz
Study Details
We recorded the resting electroencephalogram of 20 healthy subjects in order to investigate the effect of electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure on EEG waking activity and its temporal development.
The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups and exposed, in double-blind conditions, to a typi...
The results show that, under real exposure as compared to baseline and sham conditions, EEG spectral...
The present data lend further support to the idea that pulsed high-frequency electromagnetic fields can affect normal brain functioning, also if no conclusions can be drawn about the possible health effects.
Show BibTeX
@article{g_2005_is_the_brain_influenced_2005,
author = {Curcio G and Ferrara M and Moroni F and D'Inzeo G and Bertini M and De Gennaro L.},
title = {Is the brain influenced by a phone call? An EEG study of resting wakefulness.},
year = {2005},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16102863/},
}