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

Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.

Brain & Nervous System

Effects of mobile phone signals over BOLD response while performing a cognitive task

No Effects Found

Curcio G, Nardo D, Perrucci MG, Pasqualetti P, Chen TL, Del Gratta C, Romani GL, Rossini PM · 2012

View Original Abstract
Share:

This brain imaging study found no acute cognitive effects from 40 minutes of GSM phone exposure, but doesn't address long-term impacts.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Italian researchers used brain imaging (fMRI) to study whether 40 minutes of cell phone radiation exposure affects brain activity while people performed cognitive tasks. They compared real GSM phone signals to fake exposure and found no differences in brain activation patterns or reaction times. The study suggests that typical cell phone use doesn't produce detectable changes in brain function during cognitive tasks.

Study Details

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects induced by an exposure to a GSM signal (Global System for Mobile Communication) on brain BOLD (blood-oxygen-level dependent) response, as well as its time course while performing a Go–NoGo task.

Participants were tested twice, once in presence of a “real” exposure to GSM radiofrequency signal a...

RTs to the somatosensory task did not change as a function of exposure (real vs sham) to GSM signal....

The present fMRI study did not detect any brain activity changes by mobile phones. Also RTs in a somatosensory task resulted unaffected

Cite This Study
Curcio G, Nardo D, Perrucci MG, Pasqualetti P, Chen TL, Del Gratta C, Romani GL, Rossini PM (2012). Effects of mobile phone signals over BOLD response while performing a cognitive task Clin Neurophysiol. 123(1):129-136, 2012.
Show BibTeX
@article{g_2012_effects_of_mobile_phone_2743,
  author = {Curcio G and Nardo D and Perrucci MG and Pasqualetti P and Chen TL and Del Gratta C and Romani GL and Rossini PM},
  title = {Effects of mobile phone signals over BOLD response while performing a cognitive task},
  year = {2012},
  
  url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1388245711004275},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Italian researchers found that 40 minutes of GSM cell phone exposure did not affect brain activity patterns during cognitive tasks. Using fMRI brain imaging, they compared real phone signals to fake exposure and detected no differences in brain activation or reaction times in study participants.
This 2012 fMRI study by Italian researchers found no detectable brain activity changes from GSM mobile phone signals. The brain imaging technology showed identical activation patterns in regions like the inferior parietal lobule and insula whether participants received real or fake phone exposure.
GSM cell phone radiation does not affect reaction times during cognitive tasks, according to Italian brain imaging research. Participants showed identical response speeds to somatosensory tasks whether exposed to real GSM signals or fake exposure for 40 minutes during fMRI scanning.
Brain regions including the inferior parietal lobule, insula, precentral and postcentral gyri activate during cognitive tasks regardless of GSM phone exposure. Italian researchers found these same brain areas activated equally whether participants received real cell phone signals or fake exposure during testing.
Cognitive task performance remains unchanged whether exposed to real or fake GSM phone signals. Italian researchers using fMRI brain imaging found no differences in brain activation patterns or behavioral responses between real and sham cell phone exposure during 40-minute testing sessions.