Exposure to ELF- magnetic field promotes restoration of sensori-motor functions in adult rats with hemisection of thoracic spinal cord
Das S, Kumar S, Jain S, Avelev VD, Mathur R. · 2012
View Original AbstractLow-intensity 50 Hz magnetic fields accelerated spinal cord recovery in rats, suggesting therapeutic EMF applications.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats with severed spinal cords to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (50 Hz at 17.96 microTesla) for 2 hours daily over 6 weeks. The magnetic field exposure significantly accelerated recovery of movement, sensation, and bladder control compared to untreated injured rats. This suggests that specific EMF exposures might actually promote nerve healing and functional recovery after spinal cord injuries.
Why This Matters
This study presents a fascinating counterpoint to concerns about EMF exposure by demonstrating therapeutic benefits at specific frequencies and intensities. The 50 Hz frequency used matches the electrical grid frequency in many countries, though at much lower intensity than typical power line exposures. What makes this research particularly significant is that it shows EMF effects aren't simply harmful or harmless - they're highly dependent on frequency, intensity, duration, and biological context. The dramatic improvements in spinal cord recovery, including 100% survival rates and faster restoration of bladder control, suggest we're only beginning to understand how electromagnetic fields interact with our nervous systems. While this doesn't negate concerns about chronic high-level exposures, it does highlight the complexity of EMF bioeffects and the potential for therapeutic applications.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.01796 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 h/d x 6wks
Exposure Context
This study used 0.01796 mG for magnetic fields:
- 898x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 179.6x above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 1 mG
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
In the present study, the effect of (50 Hz), low-intensity (17.96 μT) magnetic field (MF) exposure of rats after-hemisection of T13 spinal cord (hSCI) was investigated on sensori-motor and locomotor functions.
Rats were divided into hSCI (sham-exposed) and hSCI+MF (MF: 2 h/d X 6 weeks) groups. Besides their g...
It is found that, in the hSCI+MF group, a statistically significant improvement over the hSCI contr...
The results of our study suggest that extremely low-frequency (50 Hz), low-intensity (17.96 μT) MF exposure for 2 h/d x 6wks promotes recovery of sensori-motor behavior including locomotion and bladder control both in terms of temporal pattern and magnitude in hemisection injury of (T13) spinal cord rats.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2012_exposure_to_elf_magnetic_239,
author = {Das S and Kumar S and Jain S and Avelev VD and Mathur R.},
title = {Exposure to ELF- magnetic field promotes restoration of sensori-motor functions in adult rats with hemisection of thoracic spinal cord},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.3109/15368378.2012.695706},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/15368378.2012.695706},
}