Influence of microwave exposure on chlordiazepoxide effects in the mouse staircase test.
Quock RM, Klauenberg BJ, Hurt WD, Merritt JH · 1994
View Original AbstractMicrowave radiation at 36 W/kg blocked anti-anxiety medication effects in mice, suggesting EMF exposure can interfere with brain medications.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed mice to microwave radiation (1.8 or 4.7 GHz) while testing how well an anti-anxiety medication (chlordiazepoxide) worked. They found that high-intensity microwave exposure (36 W/kg) interfered with the drug's calming effects, essentially blocking the medication from working properly. This suggests that microwave radiation can disrupt how the nervous system processes certain medications.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a concerning interaction between microwave radiation and brain chemistry that goes beyond simple heating effects. The fact that EMF exposure can interfere with how anti-anxiety medications work suggests the radiation is directly affecting neurotransmitter systems in the brain. The exposure levels used (4-36 W/kg SAR) span from moderate to high intensity - for comparison, cell phones typically operate at SAR levels up to 2 W/kg. What this means for you is that EMF exposure may not just cause direct health effects, but could also interfere with medications you're taking. This adds another layer of complexity to EMF health risks that most people never consider.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 4, 12, and 36 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 1.8 or 4.7 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- 5-min
Exposure Context
This study used 4, 12, and 36 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 10x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
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
To ascertain whether behavioral effects of benzodiazepines are altered by exposure to microwave radiation, the authors compared the performance of male mice in the staircase test 30 min after pretreatment with chlordiazepoxide (CDP [8, 16, and 32 mg/kg]) and immediately following a 5-min exposure to microwave radiation (4, 12, and 36 W/kg, continuous wave, 1.8 or 4.7 GHz).
In this paradigm, CDP reduction in the number of rears (NR) and number of steps ascended (NSA) is po...
In sham-irradiated Ss, the 3 increasing doses of CDP increased NSA without affecting NR, increased N...
Show BibTeX
@article{rm_1994_influence_of_microwave_exposure_1283,
author = {Quock RM and Klauenberg BJ and Hurt WD and Merritt JH },
title = {Influence of microwave exposure on chlordiazepoxide effects in the mouse staircase test.},
year = {1994},
url = {https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1994-36718-001},
}