May
Research finds mobile phones stimulate brainwaves
Two studies done into the affects of mobile phones on brainwaves have found the electromagnetic signals emanating from a phone can alter brainwaves.
The first study is entitled, “The effect of mobile phone electromagnetic fields on the alpha rhythm of human electroencephalogram” and was lead by Rodney Croft at the Brain Science Institute in Melbourne, Australia. It took 120 healthy men and women and strapped a Nokia 6110 to their heads. EEG data was then collected on all participants, but neither the researchers or the subjects knew which phones were actually receiving transmissions in a double-blind test scenario.
That test showed that alpha waves in the brain were boosted by the phone. This was also backed up by the fact the alpha wave boost was most significant in the brain tissue directly beneath the mobile phone. Alpha waves are generally associated with sleep and shifts in the attention of a person. Therefore, changes in alpha waves could also see changes in a person’s behaviour.
A second study carried out entitled, “Mobile phone ‘talk-mode’ signal delays EEG-determined sleep onset” was done at the Loughborough University Sleep Research Centre in England. This time a Nokia 6310e was strapped to 10 healthy, but sleep-deprived men, and then the phone was placed in different modes including standby, listen and talk. The results showed that the talk mode dampened delta waves for up to an hour after the phone was removed. The sleep-deprived men were staying awake twice as long as usual.
Overall the research found that mobile phones use frequencies that are good at affecting brainwaves and that the effect is the equivalent of drinking half a cup of coffee. It was also pointed out these results in no way show a health risk from using mobile phones.
Read more at Scientific American
Matthew’s Opinion
It’s interesting to see research happening outside of the scope of “are phones bad for your health?”. In fact it turns out they can stimulate your brain and even suggests talking on a mobile phone can help you stay awake longer. I am in now way suggesting people start strapping phones to their heads when they need to stay awake, but if you have ever felt a bit rejuvenated when speaking on your mobile when tired; it could be in part due to the phone. I would suspect it is 99% to do with the interaction on the phone call, however.
In some ways this should act as a warning to research involving implanting electronic devices in our heads for whatever reason. The likelihood is that people who undergo such a procedure may end up having more trouble sleeping or be prone to more frequent behaviour changes, however small those changes are.
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