Effects of weak mobile phone—Electromagnetic fields (GSM, UMTS) on event related potentials and cognitive functions

Modern mobile phones emit electromagnetic fields (EMF) ranging from 900 to 2000 MHz which are suggested to have an influence on well-being, attention and neurological parameters in mobile phone users. Until now most studies have investigated Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)-EMF and only very few studies have focused on Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS)-EMF. Therefore, we tested the effects of both types of unilaterally presented EMF, 1950 UMTS (0.1 and 1 W/kg) and pulsed 900 MHz GSM (1 W/kg), on visually evoked occipital P100, the P300 of a continuous performance test, auditory evoked central N100 and the P300 during an oddball task as well as on the respective behavioral parameters, reaction time and false reactions, in 15 healthy, right handed subjects. A double-blind, randomized, crossover application of the test procedure was used. Neither the UMTS- nor the GSM-EMF produced any significant changes in the measured parameters compared to sham exposure. The results do not give any evidence for a deleterious effect of the EMF on normal healthy mobile phone users.

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