Effect of a 902 MHz electromagnetic field emitted by mobile phones on human cognitive function: A replication study.

Haarala C, Bjornberg L, Ek M, Laine M, Revonsuo A, Koivisto M, Hamalainen H

Bioelectromagnetics 24(4):283-288, 2003

Our study was a replication and extension with methodological improvements to a previous study on effects of the electromagnetic field (EMF) emitted by a 902 MHz mobile phone on human cognitive functioning. Improvements on the previous study included multicentre testing and a double blind design.

A total of 64 subjects (32 men and 32 women) in two independent laboratories performed a battery of 9 cognitive tasks twice: while the EMF was on and while it was off. Reaction times (RTs) and accuracy were recorded. The order of exposure and tasks was counterbalanced across subjects and gender.

There were no statistically significant differences in performance between genders or laboratories. Although the RTs and the accuracy of answers were very similar to those of our previous study, our previous results were not replicated.

We concluded that EMF had no effect on RTs or on the accuracy of the subjects' answers. Further, our results indicate that our EMF had no immediate effect on human cognitive functioning or that such effects are so small that they are observed on behavior only occasionally.