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Psychophysiological tests and provocation of subjects with mobile phone related symptoms

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Wilen J, Johansson A, Kalezic N, Lyskov E, Sandstrom M · 2006

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People with mobile phone symptoms show different nervous system stress responses during cognitive tasks, suggesting genuine physiological differences beyond placebo effects.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Swedish researchers exposed 20 people who experience symptoms from mobile phones (like headaches or fatigue) and 20 people without such symptoms to 30 minutes of GSM cell phone radiation at 1 W/kg SAR. While the radiation exposure itself didn't cause measurable changes in either group, the symptomatic individuals showed different nervous system patterns during cognitive tests, suggesting their autonomic nervous systems may respond differently to stress regardless of EMF exposure.

Why This Matters

This study provides important insights into electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), a condition affecting an estimated 1-10% of the population. The researchers found no direct physiological changes from the 1 W/kg SAR exposure (comparable to holding a phone to your head), but discovered that people with mobile phone symptoms have fundamentally different nervous system responses during cognitive tasks. The shift toward sympathetic nervous system dominance suggests these individuals may have heightened stress responses that could make them more susceptible to various environmental triggers, including EMF. What this means for you: if you experience symptoms around wireless devices, your nervous system may indeed be responding differently than others, validating your experience even when direct EMF effects aren't measurable in laboratory settings.

Exposure Details

SAR
1 W/kg
Source/Device
900 MHz GSM
Exposure Duration
30 min

Exposure Context

This study used 1 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):

Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 1 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern rangeFCC limit is 2x higher than this level
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

Study Details

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of exposure to a mobile phone-like radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic field on persons experiencing subjective symptoms when using mobile phones (MP).

Twenty subjects with MP-related symptoms were recruited and matched with 20 controls without MP-rela...

No significant differences related to RF exposure conditions were detected. Also no differences in b...

Cite This Study
Wilen J, Johansson A, Kalezic N, Lyskov E, Sandstrom M (2006). Psychophysiological tests and provocation of subjects with mobile phone related symptoms Bioelectromagnetics. 27(3):204-214, 2006.
Show BibTeX
@article{j_2006_psychophysiological_tests_and_provocation_501,
  author = {Wilen J and Johansson A and Kalezic N and Lyskov E and Sandstrom M},
  title = {Psychophysiological tests and provocation of subjects with mobile phone related symptoms},
  year = {2006},
  doi = {10.1002/bem.20195},
  url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bem.20195},
}
DOI: 10.1002/bem.20195

Cited By (96 papers)

View all 96 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, Swedish research found that people who experience symptoms from mobile phones showed sympathetic nervous system dominance during cognitive and memory tests, regardless of EMF exposure. This suggests their autonomic nervous systems respond differently to mental stress compared to people without phone-related symptoms.
No, a 2006 Swedish study found that 30 minutes of 900 MHz GSM radiation at 1 W/kg SAR caused no significant measurable changes in either people with mobile phone symptoms or healthy controls. The radiation exposure itself did not produce detectable effects.
Swedish researchers found that people with mobile phone symptoms had significantly longer reaction times than controls during their first cognitive test. However, this difference disappeared when the same test was repeated, suggesting it may reflect initial anxiety rather than EMF effects.
Yes, people who experience mobile phone symptoms showed different heart rate variability patterns in frequency domain measurements. They displayed a shift toward sympathetic nervous system dominance during cognitive tests, regardless of whether they were actually exposed to GSM radiation.
Swedish research identified measurable differences in autonomic nervous system regulation between people with mobile phone symptoms and controls. However, these differences appeared during cognitive stress tests rather than being directly caused by the 900 MHz GSM radiation exposure itself.