8,700 Studies Reviewed. 87.0% Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
Shield Your Body

Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.

Brain & Nervous System

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

No Effects Found

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

View Original Abstract
Share:

Rats exposed to cell phone radiation for up to 24 weeks showed no spatial memory problems, even at levels four times current safety limits.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

French researchers exposed rats to 900 MHz cell phone radiation (the same frequency used by GSM phones) for either 8 or 24 weeks, then tested their spatial memory using a maze. The rats showed no memory problems compared to unexposed rats, even at radiation levels up to four times higher than current safety limits. This suggests that chronic cell phone radiation exposure may not impair spatial learning and memory functions in the brain.

Exposure Information

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

The study examined exposure from: 900 MHz GSM Duration: 45/day,SAR = 1.5 W/Kg and 15 min at 6 W/Kg for 8 or 24 weeks

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 an...

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, 2008c.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2008_effect_of_headonly_subchronic_2736,
  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},
  doi = {10.1080/02699050802530599},
  url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02699050802530599},
}
DOI: 10.1080/02699050802530599

Cited By (42 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

No, a 2008 French study found that rats exposed to 900 MHz GSM radiation for up to 24 weeks showed no spatial memory problems in maze tests. Even at radiation levels four times higher than current safety limits, the rats performed normally compared to unexposed rats.
Research suggests chronic exposure may not impair learning. A study exposing rats to GSM 900 MHz signals for 8-24 weeks found no deficits in spatial learning tasks, even at high radiation levels of 1.5-6 W/kg, indicating learning functions remained intact.
Researchers tested two radiation levels: 1.5 W/kg for 45 minutes daily and 6 W/kg for 15 minutes daily. Both levels exceeded current safety limits, with the higher level being four times the recommended maximum, yet caused no memory impairment in rats.
The study used both sub-chronic (8 weeks) and chronic (24 weeks) exposure periods to 900 MHz GSM signals. Despite these extended timeframes of daily head-only radiation exposure, rats showed no spatial memory deficits in radial-arm maze testing.
No cognitive problems were observed in this research. Rats receiving head-only exposure to GSM 900 MHz radiation performed normally on spatial memory tasks, suggesting that localized brain exposure to cell phone frequencies may not impair cognitive function in animal models.