Cell phones excite the brain but is that good or bad?

Jun 27 2006

According to a new study the electromagnetic fields from cell phones excite the brain cortex adjacent to it and that possibly has implications for individuals with epilepsy, or other neurological conditions.

In a study by Italian researchers questions are again raised about mobile phones and their possible effects on the brain, and their link to cancers.

If industry estimates are to be believed as many as 730 million cell phones will be sold this year, to add to the 2 billion already in use around the world.

More than 500 million of these are a type that emits electromagnetic fields (EMFs) known as Global System for Mobile communications or GSM radio phones and their possible effects on the brain are unclear and controversial.

Many studies have looked at the effects of EMFs on the body, but few have focused on their effects on the brain.

Such effects could be harmful, neutral, or even beneficial and might be particularly important for individuals with conditions involving cortical excitability, such as epilepsy.

In their study Dr. Paolo Rossini of Fatebenefratelli hospital in Milan and colleagues used Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation or TMS to check brain function while people were using such phones.

Fifteen young male volunteers used a GSM 900 cell phone for 45 minutes and the researchers found that in 12 of the 15, the cells in the motor cortex adjacent to the cell phone showed excitability during phone use but returned to normal within an hour.

This outside layer of the brain and the motor cortex is known as the "excitable area" because magnetic stimulation has been shown to cause a muscle twitch.

The researchers say they have not shown that using a cell phone is bad for the brain in any way, but warn that people with conditions such as epilepsy, linked with brain cell excitability, could be affected.

They say more studies are needed to understand what this means in order to provide safe rules for the use of cell phones.

A range of studies from across the globe have come up with a mixed bag of results as to the dangers of using cell phones and in essence the jury is still out on that one.