The effect of mobile phone electromagnetic fields on the alpha rhythm of human electroencephalogram.
Croft RJ, Hamblin DL, Spong J, Wood AW, McKenzie RJ, Stough C · 2008
View Original AbstractMobile phones measurably alter brain wave patterns during normal use, with stronger effects on the side closest to the phone.
Plain English Summary
Researchers measured brain waves in 120 people while they used mobile phones for 30 minutes, finding that phone radiation significantly changed the brain's electrical activity patterns. Specifically, the phones increased "alpha waves" (brain rhythms associated with relaxed awareness) more on the side of the head closest to the phone. This study confirms that mobile phone radiation can alter normal brain function in real-time.
Why This Matters
This research provides compelling evidence that mobile phone radiation produces measurable changes in brain activity during normal use. The study used rigorous methodology with 120 participants in a double-blind design, making it one of the stronger pieces of evidence in the EMF research literature. What makes this particularly significant is that the phones operated at SAR levels of 0.674 and 0.110 W/kg - well within current safety limits and typical of everyday phone use. The fact that brain wave patterns changed more dramatically on the side closest to the phone suggests a direct biological response to the radiation exposure. While the health implications of altered alpha waves aren't fully understood, this study demonstrates that our brains are not immune to electromagnetic fields from wireless devices. The reality is that if phone radiation can measurably change brain activity in healthy adults during a 30-minute exposure, we need to take seriously the potential for longer-term effects from years of daily use.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.674 and 0.110 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 895 MHz GSM Mobile Phone
- Exposure Duration
- 30 days
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
The purpose of the present study was to test one of the strongest findings in the literature; that of increased "alpha" power in response to MP-type radiation.
Healthy participants (N = 120) were tested using a double‐blind counterbalanced crossover design, wi...
Non‐parametric analyses were employed as data could not be normalized. Previous reports of an overal...
Employing a strong methodology, the current findings support previous research that has reported an effect of MP exposure on EEG alpha power
Show BibTeX
@article{rj_2008_the_effect_of_mobile_81,
author = {Croft RJ and Hamblin DL and Spong J and Wood AW and McKenzie RJ and Stough C},
title = {The effect of mobile phone electromagnetic fields on the alpha rhythm of human electroencephalogram.},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1002/bem.20352},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bem.20352},
}