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[Total bioelectric activity of various structures of the brain in low-intensity microwave irradiation].

Bioeffects Seen

Grigor'ev IuG, Luk'ianova SN, Makarov VP, Rynskov VV · 1995

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Low-level microwave radiation specifically altered brain activity in the hippocampus, the brain's memory center, at exposure levels common in everyday devices.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Russian researchers exposed 30 rabbits to pulsed microwave radiation at 1.5 GHz for 30 minutes and measured brain activity in multiple regions. They found that only the hippocampus (the brain's memory center) showed changes, with increased theta wave activity that remained within normal ranges. Other brain regions including the cortex, hypothalamus, and amygdala showed no detectable changes.

Why This Matters

This 1995 study demonstrates that even low-level microwave radiation can selectively affect specific brain regions, particularly the hippocampus which plays a crucial role in memory formation and spatial navigation. The exposure level of 0.3 mW/cm2 is relatively low compared to many consumer devices, yet still produced measurable neurological changes. What makes this research particularly significant is its precision - the researchers didn't find widespread brain effects, but rather targeted changes in the one region most critical for learning and memory. The science demonstrates that EMF effects on the brain are not random but can be highly specific to certain neural structures. While the theta wave changes remained within normal ranges, this study adds to the growing body of evidence that microwave radiation can influence brain function in ways we're only beginning to understand.

Exposure Details

Power Density
0.3 µW/m²
Source/Device
0.12 Hz, 1000 Hz, 1.5 GHz,

Exposure Context

This study used 0.3 µW/m² for radio frequency:

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 ContextA logarithmic scale showing exposure levels relative to Building Biology concern thresholds and regulatory limits.Study Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.3 µW/m²Extreme Concern1,000 uW/m2FCC Limit10M uW/m2Effects observed in the Slight Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 33,333,333x higher than this exposure level

Study Details

The aim of this study is to investigate Total bioelectric activity of various structures of the brain in low-intensity microwave irradiation

In experiments with thirty rabbits the influence of thirty-minute microwave irradiation (1.5 GHz, pu...

The reliable effect was detected only in hippocamp. The total bioelectrical activity of cortex, caud...

Cite This Study
Grigor'ev IuG, Luk'ianova SN, Makarov VP, Rynskov VV (1995). [Total bioelectric activity of various structures of the brain in low-intensity microwave irradiation]. Radiats Biol Radioecol 35(1):57-65, 1995.
Show BibTeX
@article{iug_1995_total_bioelectric_activity_of_1004,
  author = {Grigor'ev IuG and Luk'ianova SN and Makarov VP and Rynskov VV},
  title = {[Total bioelectric activity of various structures of the brain in low-intensity microwave irradiation].},
  year = {1995},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7719433/},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Russian researchers exposed 30 rabbits to pulsed microwave radiation at 1.5 GHz for 30 minutes and measured brain activity in multiple regions. They found that only the hippocampus (the brain's memory center) showed changes, with increased theta wave activity that remained within normal ranges. Other brain regions including the cortex, hypothalamus, and amygdala showed no detectable changes.