Long term impairment of cognitive functions and alterations of NMDAR subunits after continuous microwave exposure
Wang H, Tan S, Xu X, Zhao L, Zhang J, Yao B, Gao Y, Zhou H, Peng R. · 2017
View Original AbstractRats exposed to microwave radiation at 10 mW/cm² showed long-term declines in spatial learning and memory lasting up to 12 months after exposure.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed 220 male Wistar rats to a 2.856 GHz radiation source at power densities of 0, 2.5, 5, and 10 mW/cm² for 6 min/day, 5 days/week, for up to 6 weeks. Rats in the 10 mW/cm² group showed declines in spatial learning and memory and EEG disorders, including decreased EEG frequencies and increased amplitudes and delta wave powers. Changes in the basic structure and ultrastructure of the hippocampus were found in the 10 and 5 mW/cm² groups. The researchers suggested that continuous microwave exposure could cause dose-dependent long-term impairment of spatial learning and memory, and that decreases in NMDAR key subunits and phosphorylation of NR2B might contribute to cognitive impairment.
Why This Matters
The study followed rats for up to 12 months after the exposure period ended, tracking spatial learning and memory, brain electrical activity, hippocampal structure, and protein expression. Power densities of 0, 2.5, 5 and 10 mW/cm² were tested, and the researchers described the resulting impairments as dose-dependent. Structural changes in the hippocampus appeared at both the 5 and 10 mW/cm² levels, while spatial learning and memory declines were noted at the 10 mW/cm² level. The researchers suggested that the decrease of NR2A, NR2B, and p-NR2B might contribute to the impairment of cognitive functions.
Exposure Details
- Power Density
- 0, 2.5, 5 and 10 mW/cm²
- Source/Device
- 2.856 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- 6 min/day, 5 days/week and up to 6 weeks
Exposure Context
This study used 0, 2.5, 5 and 10 mW/cm² for radio frequency:
- 250Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 4.2Mx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
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 long term effects of continuous microwave exposure cannot be ignored for the simulation of the real environment and increasing concerns about the negative cognitive effects of microwave exposure.
In this study, 220 male Wistar rats were exposed by a 2.856 GHz radiation source with the average po...
Results found that the rats in the 10 mW/cm2 group showed the decline of spatial learning and memory...
Our findings suggested that the continuous microwave exposure could cause the dose-dependent long term impairment of spatial learning and memory, the abnormalities of EEG and the hippocampal structure injuries. The decrease of NMDAR key subunits and phosphorylation of NR 2B might contribute to the cognitive impairment.
Show BibTeX
@article{h_2017_long_term_impairment_of_199,
author = {Wang H and Tan S and Xu X and Zhao L and Zhang J and Yao B and Gao Y and Zhou H and Peng R.},
title = {Long term impairment of cognitive functions and alterations of NMDAR subunits after continuous microwave exposure},
year = {2017},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031938417302706},
}