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Mobile phone headache: a double blind, sham-controlled provocation study

  1. G Oftedal1,*,
  2. A Straume2,
  3. A Johnsson2,
  4. LJ Stovner3

Article first published online: 14 MAR 2007

DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2007.01336.x

Issue

Cephalalgia

Cephalalgia

Volume 27, Issue 5, pages 447–455, May 2007

Additional Information

How to Cite

Oftedal, G., Straume, A., Johnsson, A. and Stovner, L. (2007), Mobile phone headache: a double blind, sham-controlled provocation study. Cephalalgia, 27: 447–455. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2007.01336.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Faculty of Technology, Sør-Trøndelag University College (HiST),

  2. 2

    Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU),

  3. 3

    Norwegian National Headache Centre, St Olav's Hospital and Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway

*Gunnhild Oftedal, Sør-Trøndelag University College (HiST), Faculty of Technology, N-7007 Trondheim, Norway. Tel. + 47 7355 9446, fax + 47 7355 8910, e-mail gunnhild.oftedal@hist.no

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 14 MAR 2007
  2. Article first published online: 14 MAR 2007
  3. Received 8 November 2006, accepted 1 February 2007

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Keywords:

  • Blood pressure;
  • headache;
  • heart rate;
  • mobile phone;
  • radio frequency electromagnetic fields

Oftedal G, Straume A, Johnsson A & Stovner L J. Mobile phone headache: a double blind, sham-controlled provocation study. Cephalalgia 2007. London. ISSN 0333-1024

The objective was to test whether exposure to radio frequency (RF) fields from mobile phones may cause head pain or discomfort and whether it may influence physiological variables in individuals attributing symptoms to mobile phones, but not to electromagnetic fields in general. Seventeen eligible individuals, who experienced these symptoms in an open provocation test, took part in a double-blind, randomized provocation study with cross-over design. Sixty-five pairs of sham and mobile phone RF exposures were conducted. The increase in pain or discomfort (visual analogue scales) in RF sessions was 10.1 and in sham sessions 12.6 (P = 0.30). Changes in heart rate or blood pressure were not related to the type of exposure (P: 0.30–0.88). The study gave no evidence that RF fields from mobile phones may cause head pain or discomfort or influence physiological variables. The most likely reason for the symptoms is a nocebo effect.

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