Temporal bisection in rats: the effects of high-peak-power pulsed microwave irradiation
Raslear TG, Akyel Y, Bates F, Belt M, Lu ST · 1993
View Original AbstractPulsed microwave radiation impaired cognitive function in rats at levels six times below current safety limits.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to extremely high-power pulsed microwaves while the animals performed time discrimination tasks to test cognitive function. The microwave exposure impaired the rats' ability to distinguish between different time durations and increased their failure to respond during trials, even at power levels well below safety guidelines. This suggests that pulsed microwave radiation can affect decision-making and cognitive processing in the brain.
Why This Matters
This study reveals something particularly concerning about pulsed microwave radiation. The researchers found measurable cognitive impairment in rats at SAR levels of just 0.072 W/kg - nearly six times below the 0.4 W/kg safety limit they referenced. What makes this especially relevant is that many modern wireless devices, from cell phones to WiFi routers, emit pulsed signals rather than continuous waves. The fact that these ultra-short, high-power pulses disrupted the animals' decision-making processes points to neurological effects that current safety standards may not adequately address. Put simply, this research suggests that the pulsed nature of modern wireless signals - not just their average power - may be biologically significant. The cognitive impairments observed here occurred at exposure levels that regulatory agencies consider completely safe, which should give us pause about our current understanding of microwave bioeffects.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.072. 0.4 W/kg
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
The effects of high-peak-power, pulsed microwaves on a time perception and discrimination task were studied in rats.
Exposures were performed with the TEMPO exposure system, which produces an 80 nanosecond pulse with ...
Measures of time perception, response bias, and total trials did not change with power level. Dose-response effects were observed for discriminability (ability to distinguish between durations), session time, and trial completions (null responses, failures to respond on a trial). Covarying sound and X-ray exposures produced by TEMPO did not reliably correlate with the observed microwave effects. The observation of repeatable dose-response effects on discriminability and null responses indicates that the microwave exposures were affecting cognitive function in the rats, particularly the decision-making process.
Show BibTeX
@article{tg_1993_temporal_bisection_in_rats_1289,
author = {Raslear TG and Akyel Y and Bates F and Belt M and Lu ST},
title = {Temporal bisection in rats: the effects of high-peak-power pulsed microwave irradiation},
year = {1993},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8285916/},
}