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Long-term digital mobile phone use and cognitive decline in the elderly.

Bioelectromagnetics · 2012 · Benefit · Low evidence

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BenefitLow evidencePaper 3253

In this cohort of older adults followed for 4 years, there was no significant deleterious effect of frequent digital mobile phone use on cognitive functioning. The authors report that users were self-selected with characteristics favoring better cognition and…

Study snapshot

PublicationBioelectromagnetics · 2012
Study typecohort
Reported directionBenefit
Evidence ratingLow

Abstract

Research on long-term exposure to electromagnetic fields on cognition is lacking. We investigated the associations between frequent digital mobile phone use and global and domain-specific cognitive changes in older persons, a vulnerable group experiencing age-associated cognitive decline. We assessed 871 non-demented Chinese participants in the Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Studies cohort on the frequency of digital mobile phone use, neurocognitive performance and confounding variables at baseline, and neurocognitive performance at the 4-year follow-up. Findings showed that digital mobile phone users were typically self-selected to possess characteristics favoring better cognitive functioning and concomitantly demonstrate better performance on cognitive tasks. There was evidently no significant deleterious effect of digital mobile phone use on cognitive functioning in older people. Findings suggest, however, that digital mobile phone use may have an independent facilitating effect on global and executive functioning.

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typecohort
Effect directionbenefit
Population871 non-demented older Chinese participants in the Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Studies cohort
Sample size871
ExposureRF · long-term; baseline use with 4-year follow-up
Evidence strengthLowConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

In this cohort of older adults followed for 4 years, there was no significant deleterious effect of frequent digital mobile phone use on cognitive functioning. The authors report that users were self-selected with characteristics favoring better cognition and suggest mobile phone use may have an independent facilitating effect on global and executive functioning.

Outcomes measured

  • Global cognitive change
  • Domain-specific cognitive change
  • Executive functioning
  • Neurocognitive task performance

Limitations

  • Exposure was assessed as frequency of digital mobile phone use (details of RF exposure levels such as frequency/SAR not provided).
  • Potential self-selection/confounding: users differed in characteristics associated with better cognitive functioning.
View raw extracted JSON
{
  "study_type": "cohort",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "mobile phone",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": "long-term; baseline use with 4-year follow-up"
  },
  "population": "871 non-demented older Chinese participants in the Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Studies cohort",
  "sample_size": 871,
  "outcomes": [
    "Global cognitive change",
    "Domain-specific cognitive change",
    "Executive functioning",
    "Neurocognitive task performance"
  ],
  "main_findings": "In this cohort of older adults followed for 4 years, there was no significant deleterious effect of frequent digital mobile phone use on cognitive functioning. The authors report that users were self-selected with characteristics favoring better cognition and suggest mobile phone use may have an independent facilitating effect on global and executive functioning.",
  "effect_direction": "benefit",
  "limitations": [
    "Exposure was assessed as frequency of digital mobile phone use (details of RF exposure levels such as frequency/SAR not provided).",
    "Potential self-selection/confounding: users differed in characteristics associated with better cognitive functioning."
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "low",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "digital mobile phone",
    "RF exposure",
    "cognition",
    "cognitive decline",
    "elderly",
    "executive function",
    "cohort",
    "Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Studies"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "mobile-phones",
      "weight": 0.9,
      "reason": "Study evaluates long-term digital mobile phone use and cognitive outcomes."
    }
  ]
}
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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1002/bem.20698
PubMed: 25929484

Read the original paper →

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