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Mobile phones modulate response patterns of human brain activity.

Neuroreport · 1998 · Mixed · Insufficient evidence

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MixedInsufficient evidencePaper 6346

The investigators report that pulsed high-frequency electromagnetic fields from mobile phones altered distinct aspects of the brain’s electrical response to acoustic stimuli. Differences were observed for induced (but not evoked) brain activity during exposur…

Study snapshot

PublicationNeuroreport · 1998
Study typeother
Reported directionMixed
Evidence ratingInsufficient

Abstract

Mobile phones emit a pulsed high-frequency electromagnetic field (PEMF) which may penetrate the scalp and the skull. Increasingly, there is an interest in the interaction of this pulsed microwave radiation with the human brain. Our investigations show that these electromagnetic fields alter distinct aspects of the brain's electrical response to acoustic stimuli. More precisely, our results demonstrate that aspects of the induced but not the evoked brain activity during PEMF exposure can be different from those not influenced by PEMF radiation. This effect appears in higher frequency bands when subjects process task-relevant target stimuli but was not present for irrelevant standard stimuli. As the induced brain activity in higher frequency bands has been proposed to be a correlate of coherent high-frequency neuronal activity, PEMF exposure may provide means to systematically alter the pattern fluctuations in neural mass activity.

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 typeother
Effect directionmixed
Populationhuman subjects
Sample sizeNot supplied
Exposuremicrowave
Evidence strengthInsufficientConfidence: 66% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

The investigators report that pulsed high-frequency electromagnetic fields from mobile phones altered distinct aspects of the brain’s electrical response to acoustic stimuli. Differences were observed for induced (but not evoked) brain activity during exposure, appearing in higher frequency bands for task-relevant target stimuli but not for irrelevant standard stimuli.

Outcomes measured

  • brain electrical response to acoustic stimuli
  • induced brain activity (higher frequency bands)
  • evoked brain activity

Limitations

  • No frequency, SAR, or exposure duration reported in the abstract.
  • Sample size not reported in the abstract.
  • Study design and measurement methods are not described in the abstract.
View raw extracted JSON
{
  "study_type": "other",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "microwave",
    "source": "mobile phone",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "human subjects",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "brain electrical response to acoustic stimuli",
    "induced brain activity (higher frequency bands)",
    "evoked brain activity"
  ],
  "main_findings": "The investigators report that pulsed high-frequency electromagnetic fields from mobile phones altered distinct aspects of the brain’s electrical response to acoustic stimuli. Differences were observed for induced (but not evoked) brain activity during exposure, appearing in higher frequency bands for task-relevant target stimuli but not for irrelevant standard stimuli.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "No frequency, SAR, or exposure duration reported in the abstract.",
    "Sample size not reported in the abstract.",
    "Study design and measurement methods are not described in the abstract."
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "insufficient",
  "confidence": 0.66,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "mobile phone",
    "pulsed high-frequency electromagnetic field",
    "pulsed microwave radiation",
    "human brain activity",
    "acoustic stimuli",
    "induced activity",
    "evoked activity",
    "higher frequency bands"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "mobile-phones",
      "weight": 0.9,
      "reason": "Exposure source is mobile phones emitting pulsed high-frequency (microwave) EMF affecting brain activity measures."
    }
  ]
}
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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: 10.1097/00001756-199810050-00018
PubMed: 9831456

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