How Cell Phones Affect Cognitive Function?

Source: https://bit.ly/3x1e2YQ
The World Health Organization concluded that cell phone radiation
may cause brain tumors, but what about effects on cognitive function?
“At present, we do not know precisely the degree to which the risk
of cancer and other adverse health effects are increased by the
exposure to the RF [radiofrequency] fields from cell phones, smart
meters, and other wireless devices.” You may recall that I explored
the brain tumor data in my video Does Cell Phone Radiation Cause
Cancer?, but what other potential adverse health effects might there
be? For example, how might radiofrequency fields affect brain
function? That’s the topic of my video Do Mobile Phones Affect
Brain Function?.
“The dramatic increase in use of cellular telephones has generated
concern about possible negative effects of radiofrequency signals
delivered to the brain. However, whether acute cell phone exposure
affects the human brain is unclear.” So, researchers decided to put
it to the test using PET scan technology. What did they find? As you
can see at 0:44 in my video, elevated brain activity was found in the
region of the brain closest to the antenna after 50 minutes of
exposure to a cell phone call. What does that actually mean, though?
Well, it’s evidence that the human brain has at least some
sensitivity to the effects of cell phone radiation. The increased
metabolism in brain regions closest to the antenna “suggest that
brain absorption of [cell phone emissions] may enhance the
excitability of brain tissue.”
The potential health consequences of this are unknown, though the
results suggest that “cell phone use can possibly affect brain
function,” potentially affecting neurotransmitter and neurochemical
brain activities. Perhaps this can explain the changes in
psychological test outcomes observed after exposure to cell phone
radiation. Although earlier studies failed to find an effect of
short-term cell exposure on human cognitive performance, a 2017
review noted that “several studies indicate an increase in cortical
excitability and/or efficiency with EMF exposure,” which may
translate out into measurable cognitive effects. What’s more, this
“cortical excitability”—excitability of the outer layer of the brain
tied to cell phone exposure—“might also underpin disruptions in
sleep” while at the same time being “associated with faster reaction
time.”
In fact, researchers compared the source of funding and results
of studies of the health effects of mobile cell phone use and “found
that the studies funded exclusively by industry were indeed
substantially less likely to report significant effects…that may be
relevant to health.” It would look suspicious if all the industry
studies showed no adverse effects, though, so some have accused
the industry of taking obfuscation to a new level. “Although the
industry-funded studies were significantly more likely to be
negative”—that is, show no effects—“as expected, no two positive
studies reported the same effect, and the few attempts to do so
failed. Thus the apparent message of the studies dovetailed well
with the [industry’s] position that there are no reproducible
biological effects.” So, industry wasn’t only denying the existence
of effects; it was also denying the existence of reproducible
effects. It’s like this: If all of the industry-funded studies
universally found no adverse effects of cell phone use, in contrast
to the findings of independent research, the industry-funded
research program could have been more easily dismissed. As well,
industry researchers couldn’t publish adverse health effects because
that would be bad for business. So, they came up with a wide
hodge-podge of conflicting results. In this way, it seems they can
better protect themselves. Was this all part of “a well-designed
legal strategy” to fight off lawsuits? We may never know.
We do know that when the World Health Organization announced
that cell phones may cause brain tumors, the cellphone industry
went into damage control to attack the agency, similar to when the
WHO came out against second-hand tobacco smoke.
“Sowing confusion and manufacturing doubt is a well-known
strategy used by the tobacco and other industries.”
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has found that radiation
from cell phones may cause brain tumors.
- Researchers investigated the impact of radiofrequency signals
from cellular devices on the brain and found, via PET scan
technology, evidence of at least some sensitivity to the effects
of cell phone radiation.
- Potential health consequences have not yet been determined, but
results suggest cellphone usage may affect brain function and
seems to increase “cortical excitability,” which may be linked to
both sleep disruption and “faster reaction time,” though the
difference may be only a few thousandths of a second.
- Research funded by the mobile phone industry was found to be
substantially less likely to report significant health effects and
“no two positive studies reported the same effect, and the few
attempts to do so failed.” In this way, industry-funded studies had
a broad range of conflicting results, which may have been
calculated.

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