Cognitive effects of radiation emitted by cellular phones: the influence of exposure side and time.
Luria R, Eliyahu I, Hareuveny R, Margaliot M, Meiran N. · 2009
View Original AbstractCell phone radiation can slow cognitive responses within minutes, with effects varying by phone placement and hand used.
Plain English Summary
Israeli researchers tested how cell phone radiation affects thinking speed by having 48 men perform memory tasks while GSM phones were placed on different sides of their heads. They found that when the phone was on the left side of the head, participants responded significantly slower with their right hand during the first few minutes of exposure. This suggests cell phone radiation can temporarily impair cognitive performance, and that the specific placement of the phone and timing of exposure matter for detecting these effects.
Why This Matters
This study adds important nuance to our understanding of how cell phone radiation affects brain function. The finding that cognitive effects depend on which side of the head is exposed, which hand responds, and how long exposure lasts helps explain why some studies find effects while others don't. The researchers used standard GSM phones at typical operating levels, meaning these cognitive impacts could occur during everyday phone use. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates measurable changes in brain function within minutes of exposure. The science shows that radiofrequency radiation doesn't just pass harmlessly through our heads - it can alter how quickly our brains process information. While the effects were temporary in this study, the implications for regular phone users who spend hours with devices pressed against their heads deserve serious consideration.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
This study examined the time dependence effects of exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RFR) emitted by standard GSM cellular phones on the cognitive functions of humans
A total of 48 healthy right-handed male subjects performed a spatial working memory task (that requi...
It was found that the average RT of the right-hand responses under left-side exposure condition was ...
Show BibTeX
@article{r_2009_cognitive_effects_of_radiation_2389,
author = {Luria R and Eliyahu I and Hareuveny R and Margaliot M and Meiran N.},
title = {Cognitive effects of radiation emitted by cellular phones: the influence of exposure side and time.},
year = {2009},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19194860/},
}