Mobile phone radiation and the developing brain: behavioral and morphological effects in juvenile rats.
Kumlin T, Iivonen H, Miettinen P, Juvonen A, van Groen T, Puranen L, Pitkäaho R, Juutilainen J, Tanila H. · 2007
View Original AbstractJuvenile rats exposed to RF fields showed significantly improved learning and memory in a water maze test, while no harmful brain changes were detected.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed young male Wistar rats to a 900 MHz mobile phone signal for 2 h/day on 5 days/week. After 5 weeks of exposure at whole-body average specific energy absorption rates of 0.3 or 3.0 W/kg or sham exposure, rats were assessed for behavioral and morphological changes. No degenerative changes, dying neurons, or effects on blood-brain barrier leakage were detected, and no group differences appeared in the open-field, plus maze, or acoustic startle response tests. In the water maze test, significantly improved learning and memory were detected in rats exposed to RF fields.
Why This Matters
The study aimed to assess the biological effects of prolonged high-frequency electromagnetic field exposure on the developing brain, examining both behavioral and morphological effects in juvenile rats. After the exposure period, six rats per group were examined histologically, and the remaining 18 rats per group were subjected to behavioral tests. The researchers stated that their results do not indicate a serious threat to the developing brain from mobile phone radiation at intensities relevant to human exposure. They described the finding of improved learning and memory as interesting and noted it warrants further studies.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.3 and 3 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz
- Exposure Duration
- 2 hr/day. 5 days/wk, 5 wk
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
To study the biological effects of prolonged high-frequency electromagnetic field - exposure on the developing brain and behavioral and morphological effects in juvenile rats.
Possible morphological and functional changes were evaluated in the central nervous system of young ...
No degenerative changes, dying neurons, or effects on the leakage of the blood-brain barrier were de...
The results do not indicate a serious threat to the developing brain from mobile phone radiation at intensities relevant to human exposure. However, the interesting finding of improved learning and memory warrants further studies.
Show BibTeX
@article{t_2007_mobile_phone_radiation_and_117,
author = {Kumlin T and Iivonen H and Miettinen P and Juvonen A and van Groen T and Puranen L and Pitkäaho R and Juutilainen J and Tanila H.},
title = {Mobile phone radiation and the developing brain: behavioral and morphological effects in juvenile rats.},
year = {2007},
url = {https://meridian.allenpress.com/radiation-research/article-abstract/168/4/471/42715},
}