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Effect of head-only sub-chronic and chronic exposure to 900-MHz GSM electromagnetic fields on spatial memory in rats.

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Ammari M, Jacquet A, Lecomte A, Sakly M, Abdelmelek H, de Seze R. · 2008

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Head-only exposure to 900 MHz GSM signals did not cause spatial memory deficits in rats.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers investigated the effects of sub-chronic and chronic head-only exposure to 900 MHz GSM signals on spatial memory in male rats. Rats were exposed for 45 minutes per day at a SAR of 1.5 W Kg(-1), or 15 minutes per day at a SAR of 6 W Kg(-1), for either 8 or 24 weeks, and then tested in a radial-arm maze. Spatial memory was unaffected in the exposed rats, while scopolamine-treated positive control rats showed a deficit in the spatial memory task.

Why This Matters

In the first phase of the radial-arm maze test, lasting 10 days, rats were trained to visit the eight arms of the maze without returning to an arm already visited. In the second phase, lasting 8 days, a 45-minute intra-trial delay was introduced after four visited arms. Performance of exposed rats was compared with sham, negative control, and positive control groups. Scopolamine treatment in the positive control rats induced a deficit in the spatial memory task in the second phase of the test.

Exposure Details

SAR
6 W/kg
Source/Device
900-MHz
Exposure Duration
15 minutes per day during 8 or 24 weeks

Exposure Context

This study used 6 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):

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 ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 6 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)This level is 4 times the FCC limit
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 900 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 900 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

This study was carried out to investigate the behavioural effects of sub-chronic and chronic head-only exposure to 900 MHz GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) in male rats.

Rats were exposed for 45 minutes per day, at a brain-averaged specific absorption rate (SAR) = 1.5 W...

Performance of exposed rats (1.5 or 6 W Kg(-1)) was compared with that of sham, negative control and...

Sub-chronic and chronic head-only exposure of rats to GSM 900 MHz signal (45-minutes, SAR = 1.5 or 15-minutes, SAR = 6 W Kg(-1)) did not induce spatial memory deficit in the radial-arm maze.

Cite This Study
Ammari M, Jacquet A, Lecomte A, Sakly M, Abdelmelek H, de Seze R. (2008). Effect of head-only sub-chronic and chronic exposure to 900-MHz GSM electromagnetic fields on spatial memory in rats. Brain Inj. 22(13-14):1021-1029, 2008.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2008_effect_of_headonly_subchronic_814,
  author = {Ammari M and Jacquet A and Lecomte A and Sakly M and Abdelmelek H and de Seze R.},
  title = {Effect of head-only sub-chronic and chronic exposure to 900-MHz GSM electromagnetic fields on spatial memory in rats.},
  year = {2008},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19117181/},
}
PubMed: 19117181

Cited By (42 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

Rats were exposed at a SAR of 1.5 W Kg(-1) for 45 minutes per day, or at a SAR of 6 W Kg(-1) for 15 minutes per day.
Rats were exposed during either 8 or 24 weeks.
Spatial memory was unaffected in exposed rats across both exposure levels.
Rats were tested using the radial-arm maze, and in the second phase a 45-minute intra-trial delay was introduced after four visited arms.
Scopolamine treatment in the positive control rats induced a deficit in the spatial memory task in the second phase of the test.