Effects of 3 Hz and 60 Hz Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields on Anxiety-Like Behaviors, Memory Retention of Passive Avoidance and Electrophysiological Properties of Male Rats.
Rostami A, Shahani M, Zarrindast MR, Semnanian S, Rahmati Roudsari M, Rezaei Tavirani M, Hasanzadeh H. · 2016
View Original AbstractELF electromagnetic fields at power line frequency reduced brain activity and altered proteins in rats, suggesting potential neurological impacts.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed male rats to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) at 3 Hz and 60 Hz for several days and measured effects on brain activity and behavior. They found that both frequencies significantly reduced the rats' movement and decreased the firing rate of neurons in the locus coeruleus, a brain region important for arousal and attention. The study also detected widespread changes in brain proteins, suggesting that ELF-EMF exposure can alter brain function at multiple biological levels.
Why This Matters
This research adds to growing evidence that extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields can affect brain function, even at the cellular level. The locus coeruleus plays a crucial role in attention, arousal, and stress response, so changes in its activity could have meaningful behavioral consequences. What makes this study particularly relevant is that 60 Hz is the exact frequency of electrical power in North America. While we're exposed to much lower intensities in daily life than these laboratory rats, the fact that researchers observed measurable brain changes suggests our nervous systems are indeed responsive to ELF fields. The protein changes they detected indicate these aren't just temporary effects but potentially lasting alterations to brain chemistry.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 3 Hz and 60 Hz Duration: 2 cycles of 2 h/day exposure for 4 days separated with a 2-day interval
Study Details
In the present study, we investigated whether the exposures of ELF/EMF with frequencies of 3 Hz and 60 Hz can affect the memory, anxiety like behaviors, electrophysiological properties and brain’s proteome in rats.
Male rats were exposed to 3 Hz and 60 Hz ELF/EMFs in a protocol consisting of 2 cycles of 2 h/day ex...
Behavioral test revealed that immediately after the end of exposures, locomotor activity of both 3 H...
Here, some evidence regarding the fact that such exposures can alter locomotor activity and neurons firing rate in male rats were presented.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_2016_effects_of_3_hz_1770,
author = {Rostami A and Shahani M and Zarrindast MR and Semnanian S and Rahmati Roudsari M and Rezaei Tavirani M and Hasanzadeh H.},
title = {Effects of 3 Hz and 60 Hz Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields on Anxiety-Like Behaviors, Memory Retention of Passive Avoidance and Electrophysiological Properties of Male Rats.},
year = {2016},
url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4909017/},
}