Mobile phones-like electromagnetic fields effects on human psychomotor performance

Over the last 20 years the exponential increase in mobile phone (MP) availability has given rise to questions about possible effects on users. Indeed, since a discrete amount of radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emitted by mobile phones is transmitted through the skull and reaches the brain, it is possible to hypothesize a physiological influence of these low level RF EMFs on human cerebral activity, and a consequent potential influence on cognitive performance. A number of studies have assessed several aspects of human cognitive and behavioural performance, such as: short-term and working memory, attention (divided, selective, and focused), spatial and verbal recognition, vigilance, learning, decision making or perception (for a recent metanalysis see Valentini Ferrera, & Presaghi, 2010). The entry will focus on volunteer studies, that is experimental studies with volunteer human individuals. Most experimental studies with RF exposure were conducted as laboratory studies. Within each laboratory study, the entry will report only cognitive and psychomotor effects of MP-like EMFs. Each of these effects were tested by means of different tests and tasks, administered by a computer or in a paper-and-pencil fashion. Usually dependent variables were measures of speed (i.e., the time needed to accomplish the requested activity) or accuracy (i.e., the number of correct responses to the task or, conversely, the number of errors or absence of response to a task).