Chronic exposure to an extremely low-frequency magnetic field induces depression-like behavior and corticosterone secretion without enhancement of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in mice.
Kitaoka K, Kitamura M, Aoi S, Shimizu N, Yoshizaki K. · 2013
View Original AbstractChronic magnetic field exposure induced depression-like behavior and stress hormone disruption in mice at 3 milliTesla, thousands of times higher than typical household levels.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) at 3 milliTesla for 200 hours to study effects on mood and stress hormones. The exposed mice showed depression-like behaviors, increased anxiety, and elevated levels of corticosterone (a stress hormone), suggesting that chronic magnetic field exposure may affect mental health and stress response systems.
Why This Matters
This study adds important evidence to growing concerns about EMF effects on mental health and stress physiology. The 3 milliTesla exposure level used here is extremely high compared to typical household magnetic fields, which usually measure in microTesla ranges (thousands of times lower). However, the biological pathway identified - disrupted corticosterone regulation without classical stress axis activation - suggests EMF may affect hormone systems through novel mechanisms. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates measurable behavioral changes alongside specific biochemical alterations, providing a clearer picture of how magnetic field exposure might translate into real-world health effects. The findings align with epidemiological studies linking EMF exposure to depression and anxiety in humans, though more research is needed to establish exposure thresholds relevant to everyday environments.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 3 mG
- Exposure Duration
- 200 h
Exposure Context
This study used 3 mG for magnetic fields:
- 150Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 30Kx 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
The present research aimed to observe Chronic exposure to an extremely low-frequency magnetic field induces depression-like behavior and corticosterone secretion without enhancement of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in mice.
we investigated whether chronic ELF-MF exposure (intensity, 3 mT; total exposure, 200 h) affected em...
ELF-MF-treated mice showed a significant increase in total immobility time in a forced swim test and...
Our findings suggest the possibility that high intensity and chronic exposure to ELF-MF induces an increase in corticosterone secretion, along with depression- and/or anxiety-like behavior, without enhancement of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis.
Show BibTeX
@article{k_2013_chronic_exposure_to_an_664,
author = {Kitaoka K and Kitamura M and Aoi S and Shimizu N and Yoshizaki K.},
title = {Chronic exposure to an extremely low-frequency magnetic field induces depression-like behavior and corticosterone secretion without enhancement of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in mice.},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1002/bem.21743},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bem.21743},
}