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Mobile Phones exposure induces changes of Contingent Negative Variation in humans.

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de Tommaso M, Rossi P, Falsaperla R, Francesco VD, Santoro R, Federici A. · 2009

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Cell phones alter brain electrical activity through both radio waves and low-frequency magnetic fields from internal circuits.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers tested how 900 MHz cell phone signals affect brain electrical activity by measuring a specific brainwave pattern called contingent negative variation (CNV) in 10 volunteers. They found that both active phones and sham phones (with internal circuits running but no RF emission) reduced brain arousal and expectation responses compared to phones that were completely off. The study suggests that both the GSM radio signal and the low-frequency magnetic fields from the phone's battery and circuits can alter normal brain function.

Why This Matters

This study reveals something important that most EMF research overlooks: it's not just the radio frequency radiation from your phone that affects your brain. The researchers found that even when the RF signal was blocked, phones still altered brainwave patterns simply from their internal electrical circuits and battery-generated magnetic fields. This finding challenges the narrow focus on SAR values and RF exposure alone. What this means for you is that your phone may be influencing your brain's electrical activity through multiple pathways - the wireless signal everyone talks about, plus the low-frequency fields that exist whenever the device is powered on. While this was a small study of just 10 people, it adds to growing evidence that our devices interact with our biology in ways we're only beginning to understand.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 900 MHz

Study Details

The aim of the present study was the evaluation of initial contingent negative variation (iCNV) changes, induced by 900 MHz GSM exposure, in a double blind design in healthy volunteers, subjected to a threefold experimental condition, EXPOSED (A), a real GSM phone emitting electromagnetic power, SHAM (B), a real phone where the electromagnetic power was dissipated on an internal load and OFF (C), a phone completely switched-off.

Ten healthy right-handed volunteers were evaluated. The CNV was recorded during a 10 min time interv...

The iCNV amplitude decreased and habituation increased during both A and B conditions, compared with...

Cite This Study
de Tommaso M, Rossi P, Falsaperla R, Francesco VD, Santoro R, Federici A. (2009). Mobile Phones exposure induces changes of Contingent Negative Variation in humans. Neurosci Lett.464(2):79-83, 2009.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2009_mobile_phones_exposure_induces_2023,
  author = {de Tommaso M and Rossi P and Falsaperla R and Francesco VD and Santoro R and Federici A.},
  title = {Mobile Phones exposure induces changes of Contingent Negative Variation in humans.},
  year = {2009},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19699778/},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers tested how 900 MHz cell phone signals affect brain electrical activity by measuring a specific brainwave pattern called contingent negative variation (CNV) in 10 volunteers. They found that both active phones and sham phones (with internal circuits running but no RF emission) reduced brain arousal and expectation responses compared to phones that were completely off. The study suggests that both the GSM radio signal and the low-frequency magnetic fields from the phone's battery and circuits can alter normal brain function.