Spatial learning, monoamines and oxidative stress in rats exposed to 900MHz electromagnetic field in combination with iron overload.
Maaroufi K, Had-Aissouni L, Melon C, Sakly M, Abdelmelek H, Poucet B, Save E. · 2013
View Original AbstractCell phone frequency radiation impaired rats' natural learning behavior and altered brain chemistry in memory centers.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation (the same frequency used by many cell phones) and tested their learning and memory abilities. The EMF-exposed rats showed impaired performance on tasks requiring natural exploration behavior and had altered brain chemistry, particularly in the hippocampus (a key memory center). Interestingly, adding iron overload to the brain didn't make the EMF effects worse, suggesting the radiation alone was sufficient to cause these cognitive changes.
Why This Matters
This study adds important evidence to our understanding of how cell phone radiation affects brain function, particularly memory and learning processes. The 900 MHz frequency tested is identical to what GSM cell phones emit, making these findings directly relevant to human exposure. What's particularly concerning is that the cognitive impairments occurred in tasks involving spontaneous exploration - the kind of natural behavior that mirrors how we navigate and learn in daily life. The fact that EMF exposure alone altered brain chemistry in the hippocampus, without needing additional stressors like iron overload, suggests that radiofrequency radiation can independently affect critical brain regions. While this study used rats, the hippocampus functions similarly across mammals, and the cognitive processes tested are fundamental to human learning and memory formation.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 900 MHz
Study Details
To examine this hypothesis, Long-Evans rats submitted to 900 MHz exposure or combined 900 MHz EMF and iron overload treatments were tested in various spatial learning tasks (navigation task in the Morris water maze, working memory task in the radial-arm maze, and object exploration task involving spatial and non spatial processing).
Biogenic monoamines and metabolites (dopamine, serotonin) and oxidative stress were measured.
Rats exposed to EMF were impaired in the object exploration task but not in the navigation and worki...
These results show that there is an impact of EMF on the brain and cognitive processes but this impact is revealed only in a task exploiting spontaneous exploratory activity. In contrast, there are no synergistic effects between EMF and a high content of iron in the brain.
Show BibTeX
@article{k_2013_spatial_learning_monoamines_and_2395,
author = {Maaroufi K and Had-Aissouni L and Melon C and Sakly M and Abdelmelek H and Poucet B and Save E.},
title = {Spatial learning, monoamines and oxidative stress in rats exposed to 900MHz electromagnetic field in combination with iron overload.},
year = {2013},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24144546/},
}