Responses of neurons to an amplitude-modulated microwave stimulus.
Beason RC, Semm P. · 2002
View Original AbstractCell phone frequencies altered brain cell activity in over half of exposed neurons, with most increasing firing rates 3.5-fold.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed bird brain cells to cell phone-like radio signals (900 MHz, similar to older GSM phones) and found that more than half the neurons changed their activity levels. Most responding cells (76%) increased their firing rates by an average of 3.5 times, while others decreased their activity. The researchers noted these changes suggest potential effects on humans using handheld cell phones.
Why This Matters
This study provides direct evidence that cell phone frequencies can alter brain cell activity in living tissue. The 900 MHz frequency used here matches older GSM cell phone technology, and the fact that over half of exposed neurons showed measurable changes in firing patterns is significant. What makes this research particularly relevant is that a 3.5-fold increase in neural firing represents a substantial biological response to RF exposure. The science demonstrates that electromagnetic fields from wireless devices don't just pass through brain tissue harmlessly. While this study used bird neurons, the basic mechanisms of neural function are remarkably similar across species, making these findings relevant to human health concerns about cell phone use.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 900 MHz carrier, modulated at 217 Hz
Study Details
In this study we investigated the effects of a pulsed radio frequency signal similar to the signal produced by global system for mobile communication telephones (900 MHz carrier, modulated at 217 Hz) on neurons of the avian brain.
We found that such stimulation resulted in changes in the amount of neural activity by more than hal...
Show BibTeX
@article{rc_2002_responses_of_neurons_to_1890,
author = {Beason RC and Semm P.},
title = {Responses of neurons to an amplitude-modulated microwave stimulus.},
year = {2002},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12429376/},
}