Effects of cell phone use on the brain remain inconclusive

A recent study performed by the National Institute of Drug Abuse has shown that cell phones can emit radiation that can cause changes in brain activity. But according to Bioengineering professor Kenneth Foster, this study— and others — have been wrongly interpreted into apocalyptic forecasts.

Recent news articles covering topics such as the cell phone study have been published in The New York Times. Concerns about the effects of cell phones have produced numerous books as well. News stories from National Public Radio to the Journal of the American Medical Association are dealing with the controversy: what effects do cell phones have on the human brain?

“There was a significant increase in brain glucose metabolism in the area of the brain near the antenna [of the cell phone], which indicates that, indeed, the human brain is sensitive to electromagnetic radiation emitted from cell phones,” National Institute of Drug Abuse director Nora Volkow — the author of the study — said in an NPR interview.

But according to Foster, these studies are nothing new. “People have been looking into possible hazards of cell phones for 25 years now, and nothing clearly has come out,” he said.

Since World War II, the public has been worried about radiation from radio waves, and cell phones operate at a similar frequency, according to Foster. The World Health Organization has responded to these concerns with what Foster estimates as approximately $100,000 a year dedicated to the research of cell phones for the past decade.

But even though the WHO has over 1,000 studies on the health effects of radio frequency radiation, “these reviews don’t find any clear evidence of hazard,” Foster said.

The study found that long-term usage of a cell phone held against the head caused changes to the brain visible through a PET scan. However, Foster does not find these results surprising or worrisome.

“The effects that she reported were extremely small,” he said, and no conclusions have been made regarding the study because they are “comparable to ordinary variations and likely to be comparable to foreseeable errors.” Until the WHO reaches a conclusion, the study should not affect our cell phone usage, he said.

Even Volkow admits the shortcomings of her research. “The cell phone technology has exploded, and there’s really no clear-cut evidence of any harmful effects,” she said in an NPR interview. However, Volkow believes that the evidence from her study that has proven cell phones affect brain activation could be used to determine the dangers of cell phones ­— after further experiments are completed.

For Foster, the fear surrounding cell phone radiation is similar to the idea that vaccinations cause autism. “Activists pick up one study” and use limited information to reach unfounded conclusions, which in turn inspires a reaction from the press, Foster said.

He has been involved in the field of radio waves and their biological effects for almost 40 years, and he believes the questions being raised have not changed, even though no new material has emerged to support them.

However, Foster believes that cell phones can be dangerous — but not on their own. “I find it ironic that many people are worried about possible subtle health risks from cell phones and are unconcerned [about] texting and driving, which are very big risks and have led to numerous accidents,” he said.

College freshman Devin Chavira agrees with Foster. Although she admitted that hearing about cellphone radiation studies made her slightly worried, she described texting while driving as something current that has tangible danger. However, this does not stop her from engaging in either activity.

The heightened interest in radiation over the hazards of texting while driving can be attributed to perceptions of control, Foster explained. “The idea that there might be some subtle radiation risk is something they can’t understand and can’t control,” so individuals fear it more than the perceived control and understanding associated with texting while driving, Foster said.

Volkow agrees that the dangers of cell phones may seem scary due to a lack of understanding. “We have not properly investigated with respect to consequences on the brain or perhaps even other tissues on our body,” she said in an NPR interview, conceding that more studies are needed before the effects of cell phones on the brain can be definitively known.

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