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Electromagnetic treatment to old Alzheimer's mice reverses β-amyloid deposition, modifies cerebral blood flow, and provides selected cognitive benefit

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Arendash GW, Mori T, Dorsey M, Gonzalez R, Tajiri N, Borlongan C. · 2012

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Cell phone frequency EMF reversed Alzheimer's brain damage in mice, suggesting therapeutic potential at everyday exposure levels.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed very old mice with Alzheimer's-like brain damage to cell phone frequency radiation (978 MHz) for two months. The EMF treatment actually reversed the buildup of toxic brain plaques and improved memory function without causing brain heating. This suggests that certain electromagnetic frequencies might help break down the protein clumps that characterize Alzheimer's disease.

Why This Matters

This study challenges conventional thinking about EMF exposure and brain health. While most research focuses on potential harm from wireless radiation, this work by Arendash and colleagues demonstrates that specific EMF frequencies might actually provide therapeutic benefits for neurodegenerative conditions. The 978 MHz frequency used here is very close to cell phone frequencies (around 850-1900 MHz), operating at power levels similar to what your phone produces. What makes this particularly significant is that the cognitive improvements occurred without brain heating, the mechanism regulators claim is the only way EMF can affect biology. The researchers found that EMF treatment broke apart the amyloid plaques that define Alzheimer's pathology and enhanced memory function in both diseased and healthy aging mice. This adds to a growing body of evidence that EMF bioeffects extend far beyond simple thermal heating, supporting the need for exposure standards that account for non-thermal mechanisms.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 978 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 978 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 978 MHz Duration: 2 months

Study Details

Few studies have investigated physiologic and cognitive effects of “long-term" electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure in humans or animals. Our recent studies have provided initial insight into the long-term impact of adulthood EMF exposure (GSM, pulsed/modulated, 918 MHz, 0.25–1.05 W/kg) by showing 6+ months of daily EMF treatment protects against or reverses cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's transgenic (Tg) mice, while even having cognitive benefit to normal mice. Mechanistically, EMF-induced cognitive benefits involve suppression of brain β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation/deposition in Tg mice and brain mitochondrial enhancement in both Tg and normal mice. The present study extends this work by showing that daily EMF treatment given to very old (21–27 month) Tg mice over a 2-month period reverses their very advanced brain Aβ aggregation/deposition.

These very old Tg mice and their normal littermates together showed an increase in general memory fu...

These results demonstrate that long-term EMF treatment can provide general cognitive benefit to very old Alzheimer's Tg mice and normal mice, as well as reversal of advanced Aβ neuropathology in Tg mice without brain heating. Results further underscore the potential for EMF treatment against AD.

Cite This Study
Arendash GW, Mori T, Dorsey M, Gonzalez R, Tajiri N, Borlongan C. (2012). Electromagnetic treatment to old Alzheimer's mice reverses β-amyloid deposition, modifies cerebral blood flow, and provides selected cognitive benefit PLoS One. 7(4):e35751, 2012.
Show BibTeX
@article{gw_2012_electromagnetic_treatment_to_old_1487,
  author = {Arendash GW and Mori T and Dorsey M and Gonzalez R and Tajiri N and Borlongan C.},
  title = {Electromagnetic treatment to old Alzheimer's mice reverses β-amyloid deposition, modifies cerebral blood flow, and provides selected cognitive benefit},
  year = {2012},
  
  url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0035751},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, a 2012 study found that 978 MHz EMF treatment for two months actually reversed toxic amyloid-beta plaque buildup in very old mice with Alzheimer's-like brain damage. The treatment also improved general memory function without causing brain heating, suggesting potential therapeutic benefits.
No, researchers found that two months of 978 MHz EMF treatment caused no appreciable increases in brain temperature in very old mice. Body temperature showed only slight increases during treatment periods, demonstrating the cognitive benefits occurred without dangerous brain hyperthermia.
The 2012 Arendash study found that 978 MHz EMF treatment reduced regional cerebral blood flow in the brain's cortex after two months. Researchers believe this occurred through blood vessel constriction caused by freed amyloid-beta proteins and slight body temperature increases.
Yes, very old transgenic mice with advanced Alzheimer's pathology showed improved Y-maze memory performance after 978 MHz EMF treatment. The electromagnetic therapy provided general cognitive benefits and reversed brain plaque accumulation, though complex task performance remained unchanged.
The 2012 study used 978 MHz electromagnetic frequency to successfully break down amyloid-beta protein clumps characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. This cell phone frequency range treatment reversed plaque deposition in very old mice without causing harmful brain heating effects.