The effect of the duration of exposure to the electromagnetic field emitted by mobile phones on human attention.
Lee TM, Lam PK, Yee LT, Chan CC. · 2003
View Original AbstractMobile phone EMF exposure temporarily improved attention in students, but enhanced performance doesn't necessarily mean the radiation is safe for your brain.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed 78 university students to electromagnetic fields from mobile phones and tested their attention abilities. They found that phone EMF exposure actually improved certain types of attention performance, but only after participants had been exposed for some time. This suggests that mobile phone radiation might temporarily enhance some brain functions in a dose-dependent way.
Why This Matters
This 2003 study adds an intriguing dimension to our understanding of how EMF exposure affects the brain. While much research focuses on potential harmful effects, this work suggests mobile phone radiation can temporarily enhance certain cognitive functions like attention. The finding that this effect was 'dose dependent' - meaning longer exposure produced greater benefits - is particularly noteworthy. However, we should interpret these results cautiously. Enhanced performance doesn't necessarily mean the exposure is beneficial overall, as the brain might be compensating for stress or disruption caused by the EMF. The reality is that temporary cognitive enhancement could mask underlying cellular stress or other biological changes. What this means for you is that the effects of EMF on your brain are complex and still being understood - both potentially beneficial and harmful effects can coexist.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
This study aimed to examine the relationship between the facilitating effect and the duration of exposure to the electromagnetic field emitted by mobile phones on human attention.
Seventy-eight university students were randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control grou...
The results seem to suggest that attention functions may be differentially enhanced after exposing t...
Show BibTeX
@article{tm_2003_the_effect_of_the_2347,
author = {Lee TM and Lam PK and Yee LT and Chan CC.},
title = {The effect of the duration of exposure to the electromagnetic field emitted by mobile phones on human attention.},
year = {2003},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12876474/},
}