Effects of 2G and 3G mobile phones on performance and electrophysiology in adolescents, young adults and older adults.
Leung S, Croft RJ, McKenzie RJ, Iskra S, Silber B, Cooper NR, O'Neill B, Cropley V, Diaz-Trujillo A, Hamblin D, Simpson D. · 2011
View Original AbstractMobile phone signals measurably impaired cognitive performance in teens and altered brain wave patterns across all age groups during mental tasks.
Plain English Summary
Researchers tested how 2G and 3G mobile phone signals affect brain function in 103 people across three age groups (teens, young adults, and older adults). They found that 3G exposure reduced cognitive accuracy, particularly in adolescents, while both 2G and 3G signals altered brain wave patterns during mental tasks. The study used careful controls and brain monitoring to detect these subtle but measurable changes in cognitive performance.
Why This Matters
This research adds important evidence to our understanding of how mobile phone radiation affects developing brains. The fact that adolescents showed the most pronounced cognitive impairment during 3G exposure is particularly concerning, given that teens are among the heaviest mobile phone users. The study's strength lies in its rigorous double-blind design and use of brain wave monitoring to detect changes that might not be obvious in behavior alone. What makes this research especially relevant is that it examined real-world mobile phone technologies that millions of people use daily. The finding that both 2G and 3G signals altered brain activity patterns suggests these effects aren't limited to older technologies. For parents and educators, this study reinforces the importance of considering cognitive impacts when developing policies around young people's technology use.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
This study examined sensory and cognitive processing in adolescents, young adults and older adults, when exposed to 2nd (2G) and 3rd (3G) generation mobile phone signals.
Tests employed were the auditory 3-stimulus oddball and the N-back. Forty-one 13-15 year olds, forty...
3-Stimulus oddball task: Behavioural: accuracy and reaction time of responses to targets were not af...
Employing tasks tailored to each individual's ability level, this study provides support for an effect of acute 2G and 3G exposure on human cognitive function.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2011_effects_of_2g_and_2354,
author = {Leung S and Croft RJ and McKenzie RJ and Iskra S and Silber B and Cooper NR and O'Neill B and Cropley V and Diaz-Trujillo A and Hamblin D and Simpson D.},
title = {Effects of 2G and 3G mobile phones on performance and electrophysiology in adolescents, young adults and older adults.},
year = {2011},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21570341/},
}