College students who have their cell phones glued to their ears may want to think twice after a study, published on Feb. 16, suggests talking on a cell phone can speed of up brain waves in the area closest to the antenna.
The study, which was conducted by the National Institute of Health, raised concerns about the effects of cell phone radiation on health.
According to the study, after 50 minutes of cell phone use, healthy subjects participating in the study experienced increased levels of brain glucose metabolism, a marker of brain activity, in the region nearest to the antenna. However, it is not known whether the results have any significant effect on a cell phone users’ health.
“The study is important because it documents that the human brain is sensitive to the electromagnetic radiation that is emitted by cellphones,” Dr. Nora Volkow, the leader of the research team that conducted the study and director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, told The New York Times. “It also highlights the importance of doing studies to address the question of whether there are — or are not — long-lasting consequences of repeated stimulation, of getting exposed over five, 10 or 15 years.”
The study, run in 2009, had 47 subjects undergo a positron emission tomography scan in order to measure brain glucose metabolism.
As a control, the participants held a turned off cell phone to their right ear during the first PET scan. During the second PET scan participants listened to a recorded message which played for about an hour.
After the phone was turned on, the brain showed a seven percent increase in activity in the area closest to the antenna. It is unlikely that the increase was due to heat from the phone because the increase occurred near the antenna, researchers said to The New York Times.
Many BU students said they agree that despite the possible risks, college students rely too much on cell phones to stop using them.
“It’s entirely plausible that cell phones could cause increased brain activity,” said Maysam Homsi, a sophomore in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. “We use our cell phones way too much right now.”
“Mobile usage is like our tobacco in the same way that people didn’t know that cigarettes cause cancer. I’ve been told that mobile phones are the same way and I guess that’s really scary,” said a College of Arts and Sciences freshman who wished to remain anonymous. “But the same way that I’m a smoker I’m still going to be using my mobile phone as well.”
However with more teen’s texting instead of making phone calls, health issues concerning cell phone usage may be reduced.
“Luckily with texting, 3G and everything mobile usage to the ear has actually decreased dramatically so I guess that’s a good thing,” Kalantari said.
While this new study is preliminary and does not concern cell phone’s effects on cancer or other health issues, it does offer new insights on what parts of the brain cell phone activity may effect.
“Unfortunately this particular study does not enlighten us in terms of whether this is detrimental or if it could even be beneficial,” Volkow said. “It just tells us that even though these are weak signals, the human brain is activated by them.”
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