Neuroprotective effects of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields on a Huntington's disease rat model: effects on neurotrophic factors and neuronal density
Tasset I, Medina FJ, Jimena I, Agüera E, Gascón F, Feijóo M, Sánchez-López F, Luque E, Peña J, Drucker-Colín R, Túnez I. · 2012
View Original AbstractSpecific EMF exposure (60 Hz at 0.7 mT) showed neuroprotective effects in rats, suggesting therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative diseases.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats with Huntington's disease-like symptoms to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (60 Hz at 0.7 milliTesla) for 21 days. The EMF exposure improved the rats' neurological function, increased protective brain proteins, and prevented nerve cell death in the brain region most affected by Huntington's disease. This suggests that specific types of EMF exposure might have therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative diseases.
Why This Matters
This study represents a fascinating twist in EMF research - demonstrating potential therapeutic benefits rather than harmful effects. The 0.7 milliTesla exposure used here is roughly 140 times stronger than typical household magnetic field exposures (around 0.005 mT), yet significantly weaker than MRI machines (1,500-3,000 mT). What makes this research particularly compelling is its focus on measurable biological mechanisms: the EMF exposure didn't just improve behavior, it increased neurotrophic factors (proteins that help neurons survive and grow) and reduced oxidative stress markers. While this is promising research, it's important to note this involved a very specific frequency, intensity, and duration applied to an animal model of disease. The science demonstrates that EMF effects are highly dependent on exposure parameters - the same technology that might be therapeutic at certain levels could potentially be harmful at others.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.7 mG
- Source/Device
- 60 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 21 days
Exposure Context
This study used 0.7 mG for magnetic fields:
- 35Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 7Kx 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
This study was undertaken to investigate the neuroprotective effects of ELFEF in a rat model of 3-nitropropionic acid (3NP)-induced Huntington's disease.
Behavior patterns were evaluated, and changes in neurotrophic factor, cell damage, and oxidative str...
Rats treated with 3NP exhibited significantly different behavior in the open field test (OFT) and th...
Show BibTeX
@article{i_2012_neuroprotective_effects_of_extremely_471,
author = {Tasset I and Medina FJ and Jimena I and Agüera E and Gascón F and Feijóo M and Sánchez-López F and Luque E and Peña J and Drucker-Colín R and Túnez I.},
title = {Neuroprotective effects of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields on a Huntington's disease rat model: effects on neurotrophic factors and neuronal density},
year = {2012},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306452212001777},
}