Maternal mobile phone exposure alters intrinsic electrophysiological properties of CA1 pyramidal neurons in rat offspring.
Razavinasab M, Moazzami K, Shabani M. · 2016
View Original AbstractPrenatal cell phone exposure altered brain cell function and impaired learning in rat offspring, suggesting developing brains are vulnerable to EMF.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed pregnant rats to 900 MHz cell phone radiation for 6 hours daily and then tested their offspring's brain function. The exposed offspring showed reduced brain cell activity in the hippocampus (the brain's memory center) and performed worse on learning and memory tests. This suggests that cell phone exposure during pregnancy may impair brain development in offspring.
Why This Matters
This study adds important evidence to growing concerns about prenatal EMF exposure. The researchers found that 900 MHz radiation - the same frequency used by many cell phones - altered the fundamental electrical properties of brain cells in the hippocampus, a region critical for learning and memory. What makes this particularly significant is that the exposure occurred during pregnancy, yet the effects were measured in the offspring after birth, suggesting lasting developmental impacts. The 6-hour daily exposure may seem extreme, but consider that many pregnant women carry phones throughout the day, often in close proximity to their developing babies. The science demonstrates that developing brains appear especially vulnerable to EMF exposure, which aligns with other research showing children absorb more radiation than adults due to their thinner skulls and developing nervous systems.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 900 MHz Duration: 6 h/day
Study Details
Some studies have shown that exposure to electromagnetic field (EMF) may result in structural damage to neurons. In this study, we have elucidated the alteration in the hippocampal function of offspring Wistar rats (n = 8 rats in each group) that were chronically exposed to mobile phones during their gestational period by applying behavioral, histological, and electrophysiological tests.
Rats in the EMF group were exposed to 900 MHz pulsed-EMF irradiation for 6 h/day. Whole cell recordi...
There was an increase in the amplitude of the afterhyperpolarization (AHP) in mobile phone rats comp...
Our results suggest that exposure to mobile phones adversely affects the cognitive performance of both female and male offspring rats using behavioral and electrophysiological techniques.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2016_maternal_mobile_phone_exposure_2533,
author = {Razavinasab M and Moazzami K and Shabani M.},
title = {Maternal mobile phone exposure alters intrinsic electrophysiological properties of CA1 pyramidal neurons in rat offspring.},
year = {2016},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24604340/},
}