Involvement of NMDA receptor in low-frequency magnetic field-induced anxiety in mice.
Salunke BP, Umathe SN, Chavan JG. · 2014
View Original AbstractLong-term magnetic field exposure at 10 Gauss increased anxiety in mice by altering brain neurotransmitter systems.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to 50 Hz magnetic fields (the same frequency as household electricity) for up to 120 days and measured anxiety-like behaviors. The magnetic field exposure significantly increased anxiety in the animals, and the researchers identified that this effect occurred through changes in NMDA receptors in the brain. The study provides biological evidence that long-term exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields can alter brain chemistry and behavior.
Why This Matters
This research adds important biological evidence to our understanding of how ELF magnetic fields affect the nervous system. The 10 Gauss exposure level used in this study is higher than typical household exposures (which range from 1-4 milligauss in most homes), but it's within the range you might encounter near power lines or electrical equipment. What makes this study particularly significant is that it doesn't just show behavioral changes - it identifies the specific brain mechanism involved. The researchers found that ELF exposure altered levels of key neurotransmitters (GABA and glutamate) in critical brain regions like the hippocampus, which is essential for memory and emotion regulation. The fact that anxiety increased progressively over the 120-day exposure period suggests cumulative effects, which has implications for people living near high-EMF environments long-term.
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 contribution of NMDA and/or GABA receptors modulation in ELFMF-induced anxiety for which Swiss albino mice were exposed to ELFMF (50 Hz, 10 G) by subjecting them to Helmholtz coils.
The exposure was for 8 h/day for 7, 30, 60, 90 and 120 days. Anxiety level was assessed in elevated ...
Glutamate receptor agonist exacerbated while inhibitor attenuated the ELFMF-induced anxiety. In addi...
Together, these findings suggest that ELFMF significantly induced anxiety behavior, and indicated the involvement of NMDA receptor in its effect.
Show BibTeX
@article{bp_2014_involvement_of_nmda_receptor_293,
author = {Salunke BP and Umathe SN and Chavan JG. },
title = {Involvement of NMDA receptor in low-frequency magnetic field-induced anxiety in mice.},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.3109/15368378.2013.839453},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/15368378.2013.839453},
}