Experimental evidence for involvement of nitric oxide in low frequency magnetic field induced obsessive compulsive disorder-like behavior.
Salunke BP, Umathe SN, Chavan JG · 2014
View Original AbstractMagnetic field exposure at power line frequencies triggered OCD-like behaviors in mice by increasing nitric oxide in key brain regions.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to 50 Hz magnetic fields (power line frequency) for 8 hours daily and found it caused obsessive-compulsive behaviors. The exposure increased nitric oxide in brain regions controlling behavior, suggesting this chemical pathway explains how magnetic fields can affect mental health.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that extremely low frequency magnetic fields can alter brain chemistry and behavior through a specific biological pathway involving nitric oxide. The 50 Hz frequency tested is identical to what power lines and many household appliances emit, making these findings directly relevant to everyday exposures. What makes this research particularly significant is that it identifies a clear biological mechanism - elevated nitric oxide in brain regions crucial for behavior regulation - rather than just observing effects without understanding how they occur. The dose-response relationship, where longer exposures produced more pronounced effects, strengthens the case for a causal connection. While this was an animal study, the nitric oxide pathway exists in human brains too, suggesting these findings may translate to human health concerns.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 1 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 8 hours/day for 7, 30, 60, 90 or 120 days
Exposure Context
This study used 1 mG for magnetic fields:
- 50Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 10Kx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 1 mG
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 Details
the present study was carried out to understand the involvement of dopamine, serotonin and NO in ELF MF induced OCD-like behavior.
Swiss albino mice were exposed to ELF MF (50 Hz, 10 G) for 8 h/day for 7, 30, 60, 90 and 120 days by...
These treatments revealed that NO precursor exacerbated and NOS inhibitors attenuated ELF MF induced...
Show BibTeX
@article{bp_2014_experimental_evidence_for_involvement_294,
author = {Salunke BP and Umathe SN and Chavan JG},
title = {Experimental evidence for involvement of nitric oxide in low frequency magnetic field induced obsessive compulsive disorder-like behavior.},
year = {2014},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091305714001154},
}