Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/193707

Title

Effects of 2G and 3G mobile phones on performance and electrophysiology in adolescents, young adults and older adults

Author(s)

Leung, S.;  Croft, R. J.;  McKenzie, R. J.;  Iskra, S.;  Silber, B.;  Cooper, N. R.;  O'Neill, B.;  Cropley, V.;  Diaz-Trujillo, A.;  Hamblin, D.;  Simpson, D.

Abstract

Objective: This study examined sensory and cognitive processing in adolescents, young adults and older adults, when exposed to 2nd (2G) and 3rd (3G) generation mobile phone signals. Methods: Tests employed were the auditory 3-stimulus oddball and the N-back. Forty-one 13-15 year olds, forty-two 19-40 year olds and twenty 55-70 year olds were tested using a double-blind cross-over design, where each participant received Sham, 2G and 3G exposures, separated by at least 4 days. Results: 3-Stimulus oddball task: Behavioural: accuracy and reaction time of responses to targets were not affected by exposure. Electrophysiological: augmented N1 was found in the 2G condition (independent of age group). N-back task: Behavioural: the combined groups performed less accurately during the 3G exposure (compared to Sham), with post hoc tests finding this effect separately in the adolescents only. Electrophysiological: delayed ERD/ERS responses of the alpha power were found in both 3G and 2G conditions (compared to Sham; independent of age group). Conclusion: Employing tasks tailored to each individual's ability level, this study provides support for an effect of acute 2G and 3G exposure on human cognitive function. Significance: The subtlety of mobile phone effect on cognition in our study suggests that it is important to account for individual differences in future mobile phone research.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Life and Social Sciences. Brain Sciences Institute

Source

Clinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 122, no. 11 (Nov 2011), pp. 2203-2216

Publication year

2011

FOR Code(s)

1103 Clinical Sciences;  1109 Neurosciences;  1702 Cognitive Sciences

Keyword(s)

Acute exposure;  Adolescents;  Cognitive processing;  EEG;  Elderly;  Electroencephalogram;  GSM900;  Mobile phone exposure;  Mobile phones;  Sensory processing;  W-CDMA;  Young adults

Publisher

Elsevier

ISSN

1388-2457

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2011.04.006

Copyright

Copyright © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. on behalf of International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology.

Research Projects

Australian Centre for Radiofrequency Bioeffects Research (ACRBR), National Health and Medical Research Council grant number 264439

Peer reviewed