Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Cognitive effects of cellular phones: A possible role of non-radiofrequency radiation factors med./bio.

By: Hareuveny R, Eliyahu I, Luria R, Meiran N, Margaliot M

Published in: Bioelectromagnetics 2011; 32 (7): 585-588

Aim of study (acc. to editor)

To study the effects of exposure to radiofrequency irradiation, emitted by GSM cellular phones, on cognitive functions of humans. The study was a follow-up of previous studies (Eliyahu et al. 2006 and Luria et al. 2009) with a modified exposure set-up (with external antennas away from the body of the subjects to exclude effects of radiofrequency).

Background/further details

29 healthy males (right-handed) were divided into two groups: 1) exposure to the left side of the head (15 subjects) and 2) exposure to the right side of the head (14 subjects). All partcipants performed a spatial working memory task (that required either a left-hand or a right-hand response; three blocks of 50 trials).

Endpoint

cognitive/behavioral endpoints: spatial working memory

Exposure

- mobile communications
- mobile phone
- digital mobile phone
- GSM

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 890.2 MHz Exposure duration: not specified in the article	power: 2 W peak value power density: 0.1 µW/cm² (at the subject's head) SAR: 0.54 W/kg minimum SAR: 1.09 W/kg maximum

General information

Test persons were divided into two groups: i) exposure at the left side of the head ii) exposure at the right side of the head

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	890.2 MHz
Type	electromagnetic field
Exposure duration	not specified in the article

Exposure setup

Exposure source	cellular phone Nokia 5110
Distance between exposed object and exposure source	2 m
Setup	two mobile phones attached to both sides of the head by a non-conductive frame in a position similiar to normal use; internal antenna positioned 1.5 cm away from the head; to exclude RF signals at the head, the phone's internal antenna was disabled and the signal was transmitted through an external remote antenna which was connected to the phone via a cable; phones silent during the test

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
power	2 W	peak value	measured	-	-
power density	0.1 µW/cm²	-	measured	-	at the subject's head
SAR	0.54 W/kg	minimum	measured	-	-
SAR	1.09 W/kg	maximum	measured	-	-

Reference articles

Luria R et al. (2009): Cognitive effects of radiation emitted by cellular phones: the influence of exposure side and time

Exposed system:

human
partial body: head (left or right side)

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

cognitive/behavioral endpoints: spatial working memory computer task (reaction to matching [=right hand response] and mismatching [=left hand response] locations of "target faces" with previously presented positions); reaction times and response accurary (in percent)
judgement which phone was operating during the experiment

Investigated system:

investigation on living organism

Investigated organ system:

brain/CNS

Time of investigation:

during exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Despite the different exposure setup with external antennas, the data remained similar to those obtained in the previous work (Eliyahu et al. 2006 and Luria et al. 2009): During the first block, the average reaction time of the right-hand responses under left-side exposure showed a trend for longer reaction times relative to the right-side exposure. These results indicate that some of the effects previously attributed to radiofrequency could be the result of some confounders (e.g. non-radiofrequency heating or low frequency magnetic field caused by the battery).

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study
Brief Communication
blind study

Study funded by

not stated/no funding

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