title: Examining the effects of electromagnetic fields emitted by GSM mobile phones on human event-related potentials and performance during an auditory task.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Due to the widespread use of mobile phones (MP), it is important to determine whether they affect human physiology. The aim of this study was to explore the sensitivity of auditory event-related potentials to electromagnetic emissions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve participants attended two sessions, 1 week apart. Participants performed an auditory oddball task while they were exposed to an active MP during one session and sham exposure during the other. Each condition lasted 1 h and order was counterbalanced. N100 and P200 latencies and amplitudes were analysed for non-target waveforms, and N200 and P300 latencies and amplitudes were analysed for target waveforms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In real relative to sham exposure N100 amplitude and latency to non-targets were reduced, with the reduction larger over midline and right hemisphere sites. P300 latency to targets was delayed in the real exposure condition, however as this difference was greatest at left frontal and left central sites the interpretation of this result is unclear. Reaction time increased in the real relative to sham condition. No difference in accuracy was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that MP exposure may affect neural activity, particularly in proximity to the phone, however caution should be applied due to the small sample size.
authors.affiliation: Swinburne University of Technology, School of Biophysical Sciences and Electrical Engineering, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: Denise L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Hamblin
authors.forename: Andrew W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Rodney J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Croft
authors.forename: Con
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stough
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D040421:Cell Phone; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003463:Cues; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300 / Q000502:physiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D016037:Single-Blind Method