Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.
Nocebo as headache trigger: evidence from a sham-controlled provocation study with RF fields.
Stovner LJ, Oftedal G, Straume A, Johnsson A. · 2008
View Original AbstractThis study found no link between cell phone radiation and headaches, suggesting psychological expectations rather than RF fields cause phone-related head pain.
Plain English Summary
Norwegian researchers exposed 17 people to cell phone radiation (902.4 MHz) for 30 minutes to see if it caused headaches, comparing real exposure to fake exposure sessions. They found no difference in headache patterns between real and fake exposures, with most headaches being typical tension headaches. The study suggests that headaches people blame on cell phones are likely caused by psychological expectations (the nocebo effect) rather than the radio waves themselves.
Study Details
To investigate the type and location of headache experienced by participants in one provocation study in order to gain insight into possible causes and mechanisms of the headaches.
Questionnaire about headache, indication on figure of location of headache after exposure, interview...
The 17 participants went through 130 trials (sham or RF exposure). No significant difference existe...
This and other similar studies indicate that headache occurring in connection with mobile phone use is not related to RF fields, and that a nocebo effect is important for this and possibly other headache triggers.
Show BibTeX
@article{lj_2008_nocebo_as_headache_trigger_2810,
author = {Stovner LJ and Oftedal G and Straume A and Johnsson A.},
title = {Nocebo as headache trigger: evidence from a sham-controlled provocation study with RF fields.},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1111/j.1600-0404.2008.01035.x},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0404.2008.01035.x},
}