Personal Communicator User's Guide

FDA Update for Mobile Phones
109
FDA is currently working with government, industry, and academic groups to ensure the
proper follow-up to these industry-funded research findings. Collaboration with the
Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) in particular is expected to
lead to FDA providing research recommendations and scientific oversight of new CTIA-
funded research based on such recommendations.
Two other studies of interest have been reported recently in the literature:
Two groups of 18 people were exposed to simulated mobile phone signals under
laboratory conditions while they performed cognitive function tests. There were no
changes in the subjects' ability to recall words, numbers, or pictures, or in their spatial
memory, but they were able to make choices more quickly in one visual test when they
were exposed to simulated mobile phone signals. This was the only change noted
among more than 20 variables compared.(3)
In a study of 209 brain tumor cases and 425 matched controls, there was no increased
risk of brain tumors associated with mobile phone use. When tumors did exist in certain
locations, however, they were more likely to be on the side of the head where the mobile
phone was used. Because this occurred in only a small number of cases, the increased
likelihood was too small to be statistically significant.(4)