• experimental
  
• epidemiological
  

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Medical/biological Study (experimental study)

Pulsed and continuous wave mobile phone exposure over left versus right hemisphere: effects on human cognitive function. med./biol.

PubMed Entry

Journal web site

Aim of study (according to author)
To assess the effects of both continuous wave and pulsed wave electromagnetic fields on human cognitive function as measured by behavioral tests in 36 healthy male subjects. The subjects performed the same tasks twice during each session; once with left-sided and once with right-sided exposure.
Background/further details:
The same cognitive tasks that were used in previous studies were employed (see publication 12332, publication 11186, publication 9851, publication 3601, and publication 4728).

Endpoint

• cognitive/behavioural endpoints: cognitive function

Exposure
General category: digital mobile phone, GSM

Field characteristics	Parameters
field 1: 902 MHz continuous wave (CW) exposure duration: continuous for approx. 90 min	power: 0.25 W mean value SAR: 0.738 W/kg average over mass (10 g) SAR: 1.1 W/kg average over mass (1 g) SAR: 1.18 W/kg peak value
field 2: 902 MHz pulsed (PW) exposure duration: continuous for approx. 90 min	power: 0.25 W mean value SAR: 0.738 W/kg average over mass (10 g) SAR: 1.1 W/kg average over mass (1 g) SAR: 1.18 W/kg peak value

Exposed system:
human
partial body exposure: head (left and right side)

Methods
Endpoint/Measurement parameters/Methodology

• cognitive/behavioural endpoints: cognitive function (different reaction time tasks; subtraction task; verification task; vigilance task; short-term memory (memory load was varied from 0 to 3 items in a n-back task with visual stimuli))

Main outcome of study (according to author)
No effects were found between the different electromagnetic field conditions, separate hemisphere exposures, or between the control (n=16) and experimental exposed group. The data indicate that normal mobile phones have no discernible effect on human cognitive function.

(Study character: medical/biological study, experimental study, full/main study, double-blind study)

Study funded by

• Forschungsgemeinschaft Funk e.V. (FGF) (Research Association for Radio Applications), Germany
• University of Turku, Finland

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