14 DAY TRIAL // In spite of being an area where a huge number of studies has already been performed, the use of cell phones is still making scientists uneasy. The long-term threats on people's safety have not yet been fully and accurately assessed, experts say, therefore they cannot whole-heartedly sanction their use just yet. This approval seems to be even more distant now, as a new investigation has revealed that cell phones cause a specific biological effect on the brain that may jeopardize their users.
In charge of the new study were scientists at the Orebro University, in Sweden, who discovered the effect following a suite of studies, the Swedish Research Council announces, quoted by LiveScience. The thing about the new effect is that scientists cannot yet accurately point out if its effects are good, bad, or completely lacking. What their research determined was basically the fact that cell-phone use increased the amount of the protein known as transthyretin in the bloodstream. Generally, this structure is associated with the fluid that forms between the skull and the brain, acting like a shock-absorber.
The research did not draw a cause-and-effect relationship between cell-phone use and the problems that mainly the children and teens reported, namely of increased headaches and impaired concentration, however. “The connection was strongest regarding headaches, asthmatic complaints, and impaired concentration. But more research is needed to exclude the effects of other factors and sources of error, even though it is difficult to see how this connection could be fully explained by such factors,” OU researcher Fredrik Soderqvist explains.
In addition to this study, the World Health Organization (WHO) itself is getting ready to conduct a similar research, in more than 13 countries. The agency is looking for a possible connection between using cell phones and developing brain tumors. Manufacturers for these devices can showcase a number of about 30 studies, which deem the cell phones safe for human use, but this does not stop the WHO. On the bright side of things, some researchers say, many countries have adopted guidelines for the use of these gadgets. Especially positive is their decision to advise parents against allowing children to speak on the phone. Finland, for example, advises that children should stick to texting only.