The controversy continues about whether cell phone emissions are bad news for the brain, but a new study suggests that the electromagnetic field generated by GSM phones can indeed stimulate the motor cortex near where the handset is held. Dr. Paolo Rossini of Fatebenefratelli hospital in Milan and his colleagues published their research in the scientific journal Annals of Neurology. They monitored the brain function of 15 people talking on the phone for 45 minutes. From Reuters:
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…
The researchers stressed that they had not shown that using a cell phone is bad for the brain in any way, but people with conditions such as epilepsy, linked with brain cell excitability, could potentially be affected.
"It should be argued that long-lasting and repeated exposure to EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies) linked with intense use of cellular phones in daily life might be harmful or beneficial in brain-diseased subjects," they wrote.
Link to Reuters article, Link to Annals of Neurology abstract (Thanks, Xeni!)
