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Effect of radio-frequency electromagnetic radiations (RF-EMR) on passive avoidance behaviour and hippocampal morphology in Wistar rats.

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Narayanan SN, Kumar RS, Potu BK, Nayak S, Bhat PG, Mailankot M. · 2010

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Cell phone radiation damaged memory centers in rat brains after just four weeks of typical daily exposure patterns.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed rats to cell phone radiation for one hour daily over four weeks by placing active GSM phones in their cages. The exposed rats showed impaired memory and learning behavior, taking less time to enter a dark chamber they had previously learned to avoid. Brain tissue examination revealed structural damage in the hippocampus, the brain region crucial for memory formation.

Why This Matters

This study adds to mounting evidence that cell phone radiation affects brain function at the cellular level. The researchers used a realistic exposure scenario - rats received about 50 brief phone signals daily, mimicking the intermittent radiation exposure humans experience from incoming calls and data transmissions. What makes this research particularly significant is that it demonstrates both behavioral changes and physical brain damage occurring together. The hippocampus damage observed here aligns with other studies showing EMF effects on this memory-critical brain region. While industry-funded research often dismisses such findings, independent studies like this consistently show biological effects from RF radiation at levels similar to everyday cell phone use.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 900 MHz - 1.80 GHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 900 MHz - 1.80 GHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: GSM (0.9 GHz/1.8 GHz) mobile phone Duration: within 1 hour per day for 4 weeks

Study Details

We evaluated the effect of RF-EMR from mobile phones on passive avoidance behaviour and hippocampal morphology in rats.

Healthy male albino Wistar rats were exposed to RF-EMR by giving 50 missed calls (within 1 hour) pe...

Passive avoidance behaviour was significantly affected in mobile phone RF-EMR-exposed rats demonstra...

Mobile phone RF-EMR exposure significantly altered the passive avoidance behaviour and hippocampal morphology in rats.

Cite This Study
Narayanan SN, Kumar RS, Potu BK, Nayak S, Bhat PG, Mailankot M. (2010). Effect of radio-frequency electromagnetic radiations (RF-EMR) on passive avoidance behaviour and hippocampal morphology in Wistar rats. Ups J Med Sci.115(2):91-96, 2010.
Show BibTeX
@article{sn_2010_effect_of_radiofrequency_electromagnetic_2459,
  author = {Narayanan SN and Kumar RS and Potu BK and Nayak S and Bhat PG and Mailankot M.},
  title = {Effect of radio-frequency electromagnetic radiations (RF-EMR) on passive avoidance behaviour and hippocampal morphology in Wistar rats.},
  year = {2010},
  doi = {10.3109/03009730903552661},
  url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/03009730903552661},
}
DOI: 10.3109/03009730903552661

Cited By (97 papers)

View all 97 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, a 2010 study found that rats exposed to GSM phone radiation (0.9/1.8 GHz) for one hour daily over four weeks showed structural damage in the hippocampus CA3 region and impaired memory behavior compared to unexposed control rats.
Research demonstrates that rats exposed to dual-band GSM radiation showed significantly impaired passive avoidance behavior, entering a previously avoided dark chamber faster than control rats, indicating compromised learning and memory retention after four weeks of exposure.
Brain tissue changes occurred after just four weeks of daily one-hour GSM phone exposure in rats. Researchers observed marked morphological alterations in the hippocampus CA3 region, the brain area critical for memory formation and spatial navigation.
Yes, rats housed with active GSM phones for one hour daily showed both behavioral memory deficits and physical brain damage. The study used real mobile phones rather than laboratory equipment, making findings more relevant to actual human exposure scenarios.
The hippocampus CA3 region showed marked morphological changes after four weeks of GSM radiation exposure. This brain area is essential for memory consolidation, and the structural damage correlated with the rats' impaired learning performance in behavioral tests.