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Brain & Nervous System110 citations

Head-only exposure to GSM 900-MHz electromagnetic fields does not alter rat's memory in spatial and non-spatial tasks.

No Effects Found

Dubreuil D, Jay T, Edeline JM. · 2003

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Rats showed no memory problems after 45-minute cell phone radiation exposure, but this brief timeframe doesn't reflect typical daily usage patterns.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed rats to 900 MHz cell phone radiation (GSM signals) for 45 minutes to test whether it affected their memory and learning abilities. The rats performed just as well as unexposed rats on complex maze tests and object recognition tasks, with one group even showing slightly better performance. This suggests that brief exposure to cell phone-level radiation doesn't impair memory function in rats.

Why This Matters

This study adds to a mixed body of research on EMF effects on cognitive function, though it's important to note the limited exposure duration of just 45 minutes. The SAR levels tested (1 and 3.5 W/kg) are relevant to real-world cell phone use, as current safety limits allow up to 1.6 W/kg in the US and 2 W/kg in Europe. While the researchers found no memory impairment and even some improvement at higher exposure levels, this contradicts other studies showing cognitive deficits from microwave radiation. The reality is that single studies rarely provide definitive answers, especially with exposure protocols that don't reflect typical daily phone use patterns. What this means for you is that while this particular study is reassuring, the broader scientific picture on EMF and brain function remains unsettled, making precautionary approaches to minimize unnecessary exposure still reasonable.

Exposure Details

SAR
1, 3.5 W/kg
Source/Device
900-MHz

Exposure Context

This study used 1, 3.5 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: 1, 3.5 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 2 times higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 900 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 900 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

The present study aimed at extending these results with more complex spatial learning tasks and a non-spatial task.

In a first experiment, rats were trained in a radial-arm maze with a 10-s confinement between each v...

In the first experiment, a slightly improved performance was found after 3.5 W/kg exposure, a result...

Altogether, this set of experiments provides no evidence indicating that spatial and non-spatial memory can be affected by a 45-min head-only exposure to 900 MHz GSM EMF.

Cite This Study
Dubreuil D, Jay T, Edeline JM. (2003). Head-only exposure to GSM 900-MHz electromagnetic fields does not alter rat's memory in spatial and non-spatial tasks. Behav Brain Res. 145(1-2):51-61, 2003.
Show BibTeX
@article{d_2003_headonly_exposure_to_gsm_3009,
  author = {Dubreuil D and Jay T and Edeline JM.},
  title = {Head-only exposure to GSM 900-MHz electromagnetic fields does not alter rat's memory in spatial and non-spatial tasks.},
  year = {2003},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14529805/},
}
PubMed: 14529805

Cited By (110 papers)

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Quick Questions About This Study

No, 45 minutes of 900 MHz GSM radiation exposure did not impair memory in rats. The 2003 study by Dubreuil and colleagues found that rats performed equally well on spatial maze tests and object recognition tasks compared to unexposed rats, with no evidence of memory deficits.
One experiment showed slightly improved performance in rats after 3.5 W/kg exposure to 900 MHz GSM signals, but this enhancement wasn't consistent across all memory tests. The researchers concluded this finding doesn't indicate reliable cognitive benefits from brief EMF exposure.
No, head-only exposure to 900 MHz GSM radiation for 45 minutes did not affect object recognition memory in rats. While some changes in exploratory activity were observed, the animals' ability to recognize familiar versus new objects remained completely unaffected.
The 2003 Dubreuil study tested 900 MHz GSM radiation at 3.5 W/kg SAR (specific absorption rate) for 45 minutes. This exposure level, which simulates cell phone use conditions, produced no significant impairment in spatial or non-spatial memory tasks in laboratory rats.
Yes, the slight performance improvement seen in immediate spatial tasks after 900 MHz GSM exposure disappeared in delay-task conditions. This suggests any potential cognitive effects from brief cell phone radiation exposure are not sustained over time delays between learning and testing.