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Electromagnetic Field Treatment Protects Against and Reverses Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease Mice

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Arendash GW, Sanchez-Ramos J, Mori T, Mamcarz M, Lin X, Runfeldt M, Wang L, Zhang G, Sava V, Tan J, Cao C · 2010

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This study found cell phone-level EMF exposure improved memory in mice, but remains an outlier in research showing predominantly negative brain effects.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed mice to cell phone radiation (918 MHz) for one hour daily over eight months. The exposure improved memory and reduced Alzheimer's-related brain plaques in both normal and Alzheimer's-prone mice, suggesting certain electromagnetic fields might benefit brain health.

Why This Matters

This study stands out as a rare example of research suggesting potential cognitive benefits from EMF exposure at levels similar to cell phone use. The 0.25 W/kg exposure level is within the range of typical cell phone SAR values, making these findings particularly relevant to everyday exposure scenarios. However, the reality is that this single positive study exists within a much larger body of research documenting concerning effects of EMF on brain function, including studies showing increased blood-brain barrier permeability, altered brainwave patterns, and cognitive impairment. What this means for you is that while these results are intriguing, they shouldn't be interpreted as evidence that cell phone radiation is beneficial to human health. The authors themselves acknowledge the limitation of extrapolating from mouse studies to humans, and the mechanisms they propose remain theoretical.

Exposure Details

SAR
0.25 W/kg
Source/Device
918 MHz Cell Phone
Exposure Duration
1 h/day for 8.5 or 9.5 months

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextA logarithmic scale showing exposure levels relative to Building Biology concern thresholds and regulatory limits.Study Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.25 W/kgExtreme Concern0.1 W/kgFCC Limit1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 6x higher than this exposure level

Study Details

Despite numerous studies, there is no definitive evidence that high-frequency electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure is a risk to human health. To the contrary, this report presents the first evidence that long-term EMF exposure directly associated with cell phone use (918 MHz; 0.25 w/kg) provides cognitive benefits.

Both cognitive-protective and cognitive-enhancing effects of EMF exposure were discovered for both n...

Although caution should be taken in extrapolating these mouse studies to humans, we conclude that EMF exposure may represent a non-invasive, non-pharmacologic therapeutic against Alzheimer's disease and an effective memory-enhancing approach in general

Cite This Study
Arendash GW, Sanchez-Ramos J, Mori T, Mamcarz M, Lin X, Runfeldt M, Wang L, Zhang G, Sava V, Tan J, Cao C (2010). Electromagnetic Field Treatment Protects Against and Reverses Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease Mice J Alzheimers Dis. 19(1):191-210, 2010.
Show BibTeX
@article{gw_2010_electromagnetic_field_treatment_protects_64,
  author = {Arendash GW and Sanchez-Ramos J and Mori T and Mamcarz M and Lin X and Runfeldt M and Wang L and Zhang G and Sava V and Tan J and Cao C},
  title = {Electromagnetic Field Treatment Protects Against and Reverses Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease Mice},
  year = {2010},
  
  url = {https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad01228},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers exposed mice to cell phone radiation (918 MHz) for one hour daily over eight months. The exposure improved memory and reduced Alzheimer's-related brain plaques in both normal and Alzheimer's-prone mice, suggesting certain electromagnetic fields might benefit brain health.