Does acute exposure to mobile phones affect human attention?
Recent studies have indicated that acute exposure to low level radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields generated by mobile phones affects human cognition. However, the relatively small samples used, in addition to methodological problems, make the outcomes of these studies difficult to interpret. In our study we tested a large sample of volunteers (168) using a series of cognitive tasks apparently sensitive to RF exposure (a simple reaction task, a vigilance task, and a subtraction task). Participants performed those tasks twice, in two different sessions. In one session they were exposed to RFs, with half of subjects exposed to GSM signals and the other half exposed to CW signals, while in the other session they were exposed to sham signals. No significant effects of RF exposure on performance for either GSM or CW were found, independent of whether the phone was positioned on the left or on the right side.
Russo
Riccardo
R
Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom. rrusso@essex.ac.uk
Fox
Elaine
E
Cinel
Caterina
C
Boldini
Angela
A
Defeyter
Margaret A
MA
Mirshekar-Syahkal
Dariush
D
Mehta
Amit
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D040421:Cell Phone; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011846:Radio Waves; D013997:Time Factors