A study published in tomorrow’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association confirms what researchers have long suspected: that long conversations on cellphones affect parts of your brain. Trouble is, not even the study’s authors, the National Institute of Health, know how the calls affect you — just that they light up a significant chunk of your gray matter near the phone.
“We don’t know whether this is detrimental or whether it could have some potential beneficial effects. We don’t know one way or the other,” lead author Dr. Nora Volkow told HealthDay.
Potential beneficial effects? Well, yes. The study tracked 47 mobile-toting participants for a year and discovered that brain metabolism in a small area nearest the antenna was 7% higher when they were on a 50-minute call, meaning cellphones boost brain activity (they raise glucose levels). Doesn’t sound so bad when put like that, does it? For all we know, blasting your brain with focused radio waves could be the mental equivalent of going to the gym. Glucose levels rise with just about any complex brain activity. For example, that 7% metabolism boost is less than the amount of energy it takes to process images via your eyes.
Of course, for all we know, the long-term effects could be pretty scary. Tumor cells need a lot of glucose, too. But that may be no more than coincidence. Researchers were careful to tiptoe around the C-word and with good reason: As Ars Technica points out, in biology there is no known mechanism that could lead from low-energy, long-wavelength radiation to cancer. A giant, 13-nation study launched in 2000 still hasn’t found any proof linking the two. Cellphone users, science is on your side — for now.
Bottom line: We know relatively little about brain science and even less about cellphone use. More research is needed for a definitive answer. We’ve all heard anecdotes from friends about how calls give them headaches or a buzzing sensation. Our friends could be right, or they could be hypochondriacs. Maybe cellphones affect each brain differently. At the moment, there’s just no way of telling.
If you’re concerned, be like Volkow — who told TIME she uses a $5 headset so she doesn’t have to hold her phone to her ear. “Maybe at the end of the day cellphones aren’t damaging,” she said. “But it’s only $5.”
