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 magnetic fields accelerated spinal cord injury recovery in rats, showing EMF effects depend critically on specific exposure parameters.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats with severe spinal cord injuries to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (50 Hz at 17.96 μT) for 2 hours daily over 6 weeks. The magnetic field exposure significantly accelerated recovery of motor functions, bladder control, and pain responses compared to untreated injured rats. This suggests that specific EMF exposures might have therapeutic potential for spinal cord injury rehabilitation.
Why This Matters
This study represents a fascinating example of how specific EMF exposures can produce beneficial biological effects under controlled conditions. The magnetic field strength used (17.96 μT) is relatively low - comparable to what you might encounter near some household appliances or power lines, though the controlled timing and duration were key factors. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates measurable neurological recovery in a severe injury model where few effective treatments exist. The science demonstrates that EMF effects on biological systems are complex and highly dependent on frequency, intensity, and exposure patterns. While this doesn't mean everyday EMF exposure is beneficial - most research focuses on potential harms from chronic, uncontrolled exposure - it does illustrate why we need nuanced understanding rather than blanket assumptions about electromagnetic fields.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.01796 mG
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 h/d X 6 weeks
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 contro...
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_626,
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},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22897399/},
}