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Brain & Nervous System

Preattentive auditory information processing under exposure to the 902 MHz GSM mobile phone electromagnetic field: A mismatch negativity (MMN) study

No Effects Found

Kwon MS, Kujala T, Huotilainen M, Shestakova A, Näätänen R, Hämäläinen H · 2009

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GSM phone radiation at typical use levels showed no immediate effects on the brain's automatic sound processing abilities.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Finnish researchers tested whether GSM mobile phone radiation affects the brain's ability to automatically detect changes in sounds, a key function for processing speech and music. They measured brain responses in 17 healthy adults while exposing them to 902 MHz radiation at levels typical of cell phone use (SAR up to 1.21 W/kg). The study found no changes in the brain's automatic sound processing abilities during EMF exposure.

Why This Matters

This study addresses a crucial question about EMF's potential impact on basic brain function. The researchers examined mismatch negativity (MMN), which reflects the brain's automatic ability to detect acoustic changes - a fundamental process underlying language comprehension and auditory perception. The exposure levels used (SAR up to 1.21 W/kg) fall within the range of typical cell phone use, making these findings directly relevant to everyday exposure scenarios. While this study found no acute effects on auditory processing, it represents just one piece of a larger puzzle. The science demonstrates that EMF effects on the brain can be subtle and may require longer exposure periods or different measurement techniques to detect. What this means for you is that while this particular brain function appears unaffected by short-term phone use, the broader question of EMF's neurological impacts remains an active area of research requiring continued investigation.

Exposure Details

SAR
1.14 , 0.82 and 1.21 W/kg
Source/Device
902 MHz GSM pulsed at 217 Hz

Exposure Context

This study used 1.14 , 0.82 and 1.21 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: 1.14 , 0.82 and 1.21 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 2 times higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 217 Hz - 902 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 217 Hz - 902 MHzPower lines50/60 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

To study preattentive auditory information processing under exposure to the 902 MHz GSM mobile phone electromagnetic field

In this study, MMN responses to duration, intensity, frequency, and gap changes were recorded in hea...

An MMN was elicited by all deviant types, while its amplitude and latency showed no significant diff...

Cite This Study
Kwon MS, Kujala T, Huotilainen M, Shestakova A, Näätänen R, Hämäläinen H (2009). Preattentive auditory information processing under exposure to the 902 MHz GSM mobile phone electromagnetic field: A mismatch negativity (MMN) study Bioelectromagnetics. 30(3):241-248, 2009.
Show BibTeX
@article{ms_2009_preattentive_auditory_information_processing_2780,
  author = {Kwon MS and Kujala T and Huotilainen M and Shestakova A and Näätänen R and Hämäläinen H},
  title = {Preattentive auditory information processing under exposure to the 902 MHz GSM mobile phone electromagnetic field: A mismatch negativity (MMN) study},
  year = {2009},
  doi = {10.1002/bem.20470},
  url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bem.20470},
}
DOI: 10.1002/bem.20470

Cited By (19 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

Finnish researchers found no evidence that 902 MHz GSM radiation affects the brain's automatic sound processing abilities. They tested 17 healthy adults using brain wave measurements during phone-level EMF exposure and found no changes in how the brain automatically detects differences in sounds.
A 2009 study found no impairment in speech recognition abilities when exposed to GSM radiation at SAR levels up to 1.21 W/kg. Researchers measured brain responses to sound changes and found no significant differences in the brain's ability to process auditory information during EMF exposure.
Research shows mismatch negativity (MMN) brain responses remain unchanged during GSM phone exposure. Finnish scientists found no significant differences in MMN amplitude or timing when testing 17 adults exposed to 902 MHz radiation pulsed at 217 Hz, indicating normal auditory processing continues.
Studies show 217 Hz pulsed GSM radiation does not affect cortical auditory processing in the brain. Researchers found no conclusive evidence that acute exposure to this specific type of mobile phone EMF impacts the brain's ability to detect changes in sounds or music.
Research demonstrates that acute GSM EMF exposure at typical phone usage levels does not alter brain sound detection capabilities. A controlled study using 902 MHz radiation found no changes in the brain's automatic auditory change detection processing in healthy adults.