Monitoring the effects of mobile phone use on the brain by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Purpose: To determine whether extensive use of mobile phones affects brain metabolites detectable by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-1 MRS). Materials and methods: Twenty-one extensive mobile phone users (average use=5.5 +/- 2.2 years at 2.4 +/- 1.1 hours/day) and 15 control subjects were recruited and submitted to a 1 H MRS brain examination at 1.5 Tesla. Data were recorded in the most exposed right temporal and pontobulbar areas as well as in the contralateral left temporal area. The ratios of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline (Cho) and myo-inositol (mI) to creatine/phosphocreatine (Cr) were measured. Results: No statistically significant changes in the NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr and mI/Cr ratios were measured between mobile phone users and control subjects and between the exposed and contralateral temporal areas. Conclusion: These results indicate that extensive exposition to mobile phone radiation does not cause MRS-detectable brain metabolic changes.