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Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.

Brain & Nervous System

Radial arm maze performance of rats following repeated low level microwave radiation exposure.

No Effects Found

Cobb BL, Jauchem JR, Adair ER. · 2004

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Rats showed no memory problems after 10 days of microwave exposure at levels comparable to heavy cell phone use.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed rats to microwave radiation at 2450 MHz (the same frequency used in microwave ovens) for 45 minutes daily over 10 days, then tested their ability to navigate a maze that measures working memory. The rats showed no impairment in learning or memory performance compared to unexposed rats, even when given drugs that typically affect cognitive function.

Why This Matters

This study provides useful data on cognitive effects at relatively low exposure levels, but it represents just one piece of a much larger puzzle. The 0.6 W/kg exposure level is below current safety limits but still higher than typical everyday exposures from cell phones (which average 0.2-1.6 W/kg during calls). What's particularly noteworthy is that the researchers used pulsed radiation rather than continuous waves, which some studies suggest may be more biologically active. While these negative results are reassuring, we should interpret them cautiously. The study used adult rats over a relatively short timeframe, and working memory represents just one aspect of cognitive function. The broader scientific literature shows mixed results on EMF and cognitive effects, with some studies finding impairments in attention, reaction time, and other brain functions. The reality is that no single study definitively answers whether EMF affects brain function, but each contributes to our understanding of potential risks.

Exposure Details

SAR
0.6 W/kg
Source/Device
2450 MHz
Exposure Duration
45 minutes

Exposure Context

This study used 0.6 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):

Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.6 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 3 times higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 2.45 GHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 2.45 GHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

We examined the possibility of changes in "working" memory of rats following whole body exposure to microwave (MW) radiation.

During each of 10 days, we exposed rats within circularly polarized waveguides for 45 min to 2450 MH...

Analyzes of error rates revealed no significant exposure effect, no significant drug effect and no s...

We conclude that there is no evidence from the current study that exposure to of MW radiation under parameters examined caused decrements in the ability of rats to learn the spatial memory task.

Cite This Study
Cobb BL, Jauchem JR, Adair ER. (2004). Radial arm maze performance of rats following repeated low level microwave radiation exposure. Bioelectromagnetics. 25(1): 49-57, 2004.
Show BibTeX
@article{bl_2004_radial_arm_maze_performance_2984,
  author = {Cobb BL and Jauchem JR and Adair ER.},
  title = {Radial arm maze performance of rats following repeated low level microwave radiation exposure.},
  year = {2004},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14696053/},
}
PubMed: 14696053

Cited By (66 papers)

View all 66 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

A 2004 study found that rats exposed to 2450 MHz microwave radiation (the same frequency as microwave ovens) for 45 minutes daily over 10 days showed no memory impairment. The rats performed normally on maze tests measuring working memory and spatial learning ability.
Research by Cobb et al. (2004) exposed rats to 2450 MHz radiation for 10 days and found no impairment in learning ability. The rats successfully learned to navigate a radial arm maze, with performance improving over repeated test days as expected.
A controlled study found that 45 minutes of daily 2450 MHz microwave exposure for 10 consecutive days did not cause cognitive problems in rats. Error rates and completion times on memory tasks were unaffected compared to unexposed animals.
Rats exposed to 2450 MHz radiation (microwave oven frequency) showed no deficits in spatial memory tasks. The 2004 study found no significant differences in maze navigation performance between exposed and control groups during working memory tests.
The 2004 Cobb study tested whether drugs might interact with 2450 MHz radiation exposure to affect cognition. Results showed no interaction between microwave exposure and various drugs, indicating radiation alone caused no cognitive effects in rats.