3,138 Studies Reviewed. 77.4% Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
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Brain & Nervous System

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Key Finding: 78% of 1,644 studies on brain & nervous system found biological effects from EMF exposure.

Of 1,644 studies examining brain & nervous system, 78% found measurable biological effects from EMF exposure.

Lowest Documented Effect

Research found effects on brain & nervous system at exposures as low as:

Study Exposure Level in ContextA logarithmic scale showing exposure levels relative to Building Biology concern thresholds and regulatory limits.Study Exposure Level in Context0.0000000043Extreme Concern5 mGFCC Limit2,000 mGEffects observed in the No Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 465,116,279,070x higher than this exposure level

Research Overview

  • -When 81.3% of studies examining EMF effects on the brain and nervous system report biological changes, we're looking at one of the most consistent patterns in EMF research.
  • -Out of 1,344 peer-reviewed studies, 1,092 have documented measurable impacts on neural function, brain activity, and nervous system health.
  • -This isn't a handful of outlier studies or preliminary findings - this represents decades of research from laboratories worldwide showing remarkably consistent results.

When 81.3% of studies examining EMF effects on the brain and nervous system report biological changes, we're looking at one of the most consistent patterns in EMF research. Out of 1,344 peer-reviewed studies, 1,092 have documented measurable impacts on neural function, brain activity, and nervous system health. This isn't a handful of outlier studies or preliminary findings - this represents decades of research from laboratories worldwide showing remarkably consistent results.

Henry Lai's comprehensive analysis of peer-reviewed research, 91% of studies examining extremely low frequency fields found biological effects on the nervous system, while 72% of radiofrequency studies showed similar impacts.

The scientific evidence demonstrates that radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from mobile phones and wireless devices produce measurable effects on nervous system function and cellular processes in the brain.

Source: BioInitiative Working Group. BioInitiative Report: A Rationale for Biologically-based Public Exposure Standards for Electromagnetic Radiation. Edited by Cindy Sage and David O. Carpenter, BioInitiative, 2012, updated 2020. www.bioinitiative.org

Research Statistics by EMF Type

EMF TypeStudiesShowing EffectsPercentage
ELF22920891.00%
RF30522272.00%

Source: Dr. Henry Lai research database, BioInitiative Report

Showing 1,644 studies

Electromagnetic field of mobile phones affects visual event related potential in patients with narcolepsy.

Jech R et al. · 2001

Researchers exposed 22 patients with narcolepsy (a sleep disorder causing excessive daytime sleepiness) to cell phone radiation for 45 minutes and measured their brain activity during cognitive tasks. They found that the electromagnetic fields improved the patients' reaction times by 20 milliseconds and enhanced brain responses to visual stimuli, suggesting the radiation temporarily reduced their sleepiness and improved mental performance.

Effect of global system for mobile communication (gsm)-like radiofrequency fields on vascular permeability in mouse brain.

Finnie JW et al. · 2001

Researchers exposed mice to GSM mobile phone radiation at 898.4 MHz for one hour to test whether it could damage the blood-brain barrier (the protective barrier that prevents harmful substances from entering brain tissue). They found no significant increase in vascular leakage in the brain compared to unexposed control mice. This suggests that this specific exposure level and duration did not compromise the blood-brain barrier's protective function.

Provocation study of persons with perceived electrical hypersensitivity and controls using magnetic field exposure and recording of electrophysiological characteristics.

Lyskov E, Sandström M, Mild KH · 2001

Researchers exposed 20 people with electromagnetic hypersensitivity and 20 healthy controls to magnetic fields while monitoring their bodies. Magnetic fields didn't affect either group, but hypersensitive individuals showed different heart rate and stress patterns, suggesting they may have heightened sensitivity to environmental stressors generally.

Symptoms & SensitivityNo Effects Found

Effects of exposure to very high frequency radiofrequency radiation on six antenna engineers in two separate incidents.

Schilling CJ · 2000

Researchers documented health effects in six antenna engineers who were accidentally exposed to high-level radiofrequency radiation (100 MHz) during transmission mast work in two separate incidents. The workers experienced symptoms including headaches, nerve sensations, diarrhea, fatigue, and general illness. Four of the men with the highest exposure levels showed no significant improvement in their condition years after the 1995 and 1996 incidents.

Sleep & Circadian RhythmNo Effects Found

Human sleep EEG under the influence of pulsed radio frequency electromagnetic fields. results from polysomnographies using submaximal high power flux densities.

Wagner P et al. · 2000

German researchers exposed 20 healthy men to extremely high levels of cell phone radiation (100 times stronger than typical phone use) during sleep to see if it affected their brain waves and sleep patterns. Despite using this intense exposure level, they found no measurable changes to sleep quality or brain activity during sleep. This contradicts earlier studies that found sleep disruption at much lower radiation levels.

Brain & Nervous SystemNo Effects Found

Biological and morphological effects on the brain after exposure of rats to a 1439 MHz TDMA field.

Tsurita G, Nagawa H, Ueno S, Watanabe S, Taki M, · 2000

Japanese researchers exposed rats to 1439 MHz radiofrequency radiation (similar to cell phone signals) for one hour daily over 2-4 weeks to test whether it damaged the blood-brain barrier or caused brain tissue changes. They found no effects on blood-brain barrier permeability, no structural damage to brain cells, and no changes in body weight at exposure levels up to 2 W/kg in the brain. This suggests that short-term exposure to cell phone-type radiation at these levels may not cause detectable brain damage in rats.

Brain & Nervous SystemNo Effects Found103 citations

Low-level exposure to pulsed 900 MHz microwave radiation does not cause deficits in the performance of a spatial learning task in mice.

Sienkiewicz ZJ et al. · 2000

Researchers exposed mice to 900 MHz radiation (similar to early cell phone signals) for 45 minutes daily over 10 days and tested their ability to learn and remember spatial tasks. The mice showed no differences in learning performance or memory compared to unexposed control mice. This suggests that low-level cell phone radiation at these specific conditions doesn't impair basic cognitive functions in mice.

Whole Body / GeneralNo Effects Found

Review of extensive workups of 34 patients overexposed to radiofrequency radiation.

Reeves GI · 2000

U.S. Air Force researchers examined 34 military personnel who were accidentally exposed to radiofrequency radiation levels exceeding safety limits. Despite comprehensive medical testing including neurological and psychological evaluations, they found no significant health effects attributable to the RF exposure, with only temporary sensations of warmth and brief burning pain that resolved within weeks.

Symptoms & SensitivityNo Effects Found224 citations

Symptoms experienced in connection with mobile phone use.

Oftedal G, Wilen J, Sandstrom M, Mild KH · 2000

Researchers surveyed 17,000 mobile phone users across Norway and Sweden to document symptoms people experienced while using their phones. They found that 31% of Norwegian users and 13% of Swedish users reported at least one symptom connected to phone use, with the most common being warmth around the ear, burning facial sensations, and headaches that typically began during calls and lasted up to 2 hours. While nearly half of those experiencing symptoms took steps to reduce them, few sought medical care, suggesting these effects were bothersome but not considered serious health problems by users.

Cancer & TumorsNo Effects Found345 citations

Handheld cellular telephone use and risk of brain cancer.

Muscat JE et al. · 2000

Researchers studied 469 brain cancer patients and 422 healthy controls to see if cell phone use increased brain cancer risk. They found no association between handheld cell phone use and brain cancer, even among the heaviest users (over 10 hours per month). However, the study period was relatively short, with users averaging less than 3 years of exposure.

Cancer & TumorsNo Effects Found117 citations

Radiofrequency exposure and mortality from cancer of the brain and lymphatic/hematopoietic systems.

Morgan RW et al. · 2000

Researchers followed nearly 200,000 Motorola employees for 20 years to see if workplace radiofrequency exposure increased their risk of brain cancer, lymphoma, or leukemia. Workers exposed to RF radiation actually had lower rates of these cancers compared to the general population, with no increase in cancer risk even among those with the highest exposures or longest work duration.

Brain & Nervous SystemNo Effects Found

Effects of microwaves (900 MHz) on the cochlear receptor: exposure systems and preliminary results. Radiat Environ Biophys 39(2):131-136, 2000

Marino C et al. · 2000

Italian researchers exposed rats to 900 MHz microwave radiation (the same frequency used by early cell phones) to see if it would damage their hearing or inner ear function. After testing the rats' cochlear receptors (the delicate structures in the inner ear that convert sound waves into nerve signals), they found no statistically significant hearing damage at the radiation levels tested. The study was designed as preliminary research to establish testing methods for investigating potential hearing effects from microwave exposure.

Brain & Nervous SystemNo Effects Found

Effects of high peak power microwaves on the retina of the rhesus monkey.

Lu ST et al. · 2000

Researchers exposed rhesus monkeys to high-power microwave radiation (1.25 GHz) for 4 hours daily over 3 weeks to study effects on the retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye). At moderate exposure levels (4.3 W/kg), they found no changes, but at higher levels (8.4-20.2 W/kg), some monkeys showed enhanced electrical responses in cone cells that detect color vision, though no actual damage occurred. The researchers concluded that retinal injury is very unlikely at 4 W/kg and that any changes at higher levels would likely be reversible.

Brain & Nervous SystemNo Effects Found115 citations

Human brain activity during exposure to radiofrequency fields emitted by cellular phones.

Hietanen M, Kovala T, Hamalainen AM · 2000

Finnish researchers measured brain wave activity (EEG) in 19 volunteers while they were exposed to radiation from five different cell phones operating at 900 MHz or 1800 MHz for 20 minutes each. They found one small change in brain activity with one phone, but no consistent patterns across the other phones or brain wave frequencies. The researchers concluded this single finding was likely due to random chance rather than actual effects from the phone radiation.

Brain & Nervous SystemNo Effects Found

Prenatal exposure to 900 MHz, cell-phone electromagnetic fields had no effect on operant-behavior performances of adult rats.

Bornhausen M, Scheingraber H · 2000

German researchers exposed pregnant rats to 900 MHz cell phone radiation throughout pregnancy to test whether prenatal EMF exposure affects brain development and learning ability. When the offspring reached adulthood, they showed no cognitive deficits or learning problems compared to unexposed rats. This suggests that low-level cell phone radiation during pregnancy may not impair brain development in rats.

Thermal effects of radiation from cellular telephones.

Wainwright P, · 2000

Researchers created a detailed computer model of the human head to calculate how much cell phone radiation heats up brain tissue. Using MRI data and simulating a typical mobile phone, they found that radiation from phones available to the public causes a maximum temperature increase of about 0.1 degrees Celsius in the brain. This research helps establish safety guidelines by showing how much thermal heating occurs from everyday cell phone use.

Effects of microwave radiation and strychnine on cerebral biopotentials in narcotized rats.

Sidorenko A, Tsaryuk V · 2000

Researchers compared the effects of microwave radiation and strychnine (a powerful nervous system stimulant) on brain electrical activity in anesthetized rats. They found that microwave exposure produced changes in brain wave patterns remarkably similar to those caused by strychnine, suggesting that microwaves enhance brain excitability and complicate normal electrical processes. This indicates that microwave radiation can act like a stimulant drug on the nervous system, potentially disrupting normal brain function.

Electromagnetic fields (1.8 GHz) increase the permeability to sucrose of the blood-brain barrier in vitro.

Schirmacher A et al. · 2000

Researchers exposed a laboratory model of the blood-brain barrier (the protective membrane that shields your brain from toxins in your blood) to cell phone radiation at 1.8 GHz. They found that this exposure significantly increased the barrier's permeability, allowing substances like sucrose to pass through more easily. This suggests that cell phone radiation may compromise the brain's natural protection system, potentially allowing harmful substances to reach brain tissue.

[Changes of neurocytes in CNS under general exposure to UHF field with local protection applied].

Leshin VV · 2000

Russian researchers exposed rats to ultra-high frequency (UHF) electromagnetic fields and found that brain changes occurred even when the animals' heads were shielded from direct exposure. The study suggests that EMF exposure to the body can trigger harmful nerve signals that affect the brain's sensorimotor cortex, the area controlling movement and sensation.

[Changes in gastric electric activity and serum catecholamine level under the influence of electromagnetic microwaves].

Kulkybaev GA, Pospelov NI · 2000

Researchers exposed 17 dogs to microwave radiation on their stomach area and head, then measured stomach electrical activity and stress hormone levels. They found a two-phase response: during exposure, stomach activity decreased while stress hormones increased, but 24 hours later the pattern reversed with higher stomach activity and lower stress hormones. This suggests microwave radiation disrupts normal digestive function and triggers a stress response that persists even after exposure ends.

Effects of electromagnetic fields emitted by cellular phones on the electroencephalogram during a visual working memory task.

Krause CM et al. · 2000

Finnish researchers tested how cell phone radiation affects brain activity during memory tasks by measuring brainwaves in 24 people while they performed visual memory exercises. They found that 902 MHz cell phone radiation altered specific brainwave patterns (around 8 Hz frequency) during cognitive processing, but only under certain memory load conditions. This suggests that cell phone radiation can directly interfere with the brain's electrical activity while you're thinking and remembering.

Effects of electromagnetic field emitted by cellular phones on the EEG during a memory task.

Krause CM et al. · 2000

Finnish researchers exposed 16 people to 902 MHz cell phone radiation while they performed memory tasks, measuring brain activity through EEG recordings. They found that cell phone radiation significantly altered brain wave patterns during memory encoding and retrieval, even though it didn't affect resting brain activity. This suggests that EMF exposure specifically disrupts the brain's electrical activity when it's actively working on cognitive tasks.

The effects of electromagnetic field emitted by GSM phones on working memory.

Koivisto M, Krause CM, Revonsuo A, Laine M, Hamalainen H · 2000

Finnish researchers tested how cell phone radiation affects working memory by having participants complete memory tasks with and without exposure to GSM phone signals (902MHz). They found that phone radiation actually sped up response times when people had to remember three items at once, but had no effect on easier memory tasks. This suggests that cell phone radiation can measurably alter brain function and cognitive performance.

Effects of 902 MHz electromagnetic field emitted by cellular telephones on response times in humans.

Koivisto et al. · 2000

Researchers exposed 48 healthy adults to 902 MHz radiofrequency radiation from cell phones while they performed various thinking tasks. The EMF exposure actually improved their reaction times and mental arithmetic performance, suggesting the radiation enhanced brain function rather than harmed it. This challenges assumptions about EMF effects being purely negative and shows the brain's response to electromagnetic fields is more complex than previously understood.

Neurological abnormalities associated with Mobile phone use.

Hocking B, Westerman R · 2000

Researchers documented a case of permanent nerve damage in a patient who used a mobile phone extensively. The patient developed lasting abnormal sensations in the scalp, reduced sensation, and measurable nerve damage to the cervical and trigeminal nerves. Medical examination ruled out other potential causes, suggesting a connection between prolonged mobile phone use and neurological damage.

Learn More

For a comprehensive exploration of EMF health effects including brain & nervous system, along with practical protection strategies, explore these books by R Blank and Dr. Martin Blank.

FAQs: EMF & Brain & Nervous System

When 81.3% of studies examining EMF effects on the brain and nervous system report biological changes, we're looking at one of the most consistent patterns in EMF research. Out of 1,344 peer-reviewed studies, 1,092 have documented measurable impacts on neural function, brain activity, and nervous system health.
The BioInitiative Report database includes 1,644 peer-reviewed studies examining the relationship between electromagnetic field exposure and brain & nervous system. These studies have been conducted by researchers worldwide and published in scientific journals. The research spans multiple decades and includes various types of EMF sources including cell phones, WiFi, power lines, and other common sources of electromagnetic radiation.
78% of the 1,644 studies examining brain & nervous system found measurable biological effects from EMF exposure. This means that 1284 studies documented observable changes in biological systems when exposed to electromagnetic fields. The remaining 22% either found no significant effects or had inconclusive results, which is typical in scientific research where study design and exposure parameters vary.