THE EFFECT OF 1.6 GHZ RADIATION ON NEUROTRANSMITTERS IN DISCRETE AREAS OF THE RAT BRAIN
James H. Merritt, Richard H. Hartzell, James W. Frazer · 1976
1.6 GHz microwave exposure decreased several rat brain neurotransmitters, but the authors attributed the changes to microwave-induced hyperthermia, not a direct effect of the radiation.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to 1.6 GHz microwave radiation for 10 minutes, causing a 4°C temperature rise and measuring brain neurotransmitter changes. The radiation decreased key brain chemicals including norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine, and the authors concluded these changes are the result of microwave-induced hyperthermia. This suggests the brain chemistry changes came from the heating rather than a direct effect of the radiation on neurons.
Why This Matters
This 1976 study found that microwave radiation at a heating level of 80 mW/cm² changed brain chemistry, and the authors concluded the changes are the result of microwave-induced hyperthermia. The researchers found that 1.6 GHz radiation decreased multiple neurotransmitters essential for mood, attention, and motor control. Some effects, such as lower hippocampal serotonin, occurred only in the irradiated animals and not in those heated with warm air, yet the authors judged the overall changes to be thermal.
The 80 mW/cm² exposure level is extraordinarily high compared to today's cell phones (which operate around 0.1-1 mW/cm²). The authors concluded the changes are most probably a result of thermoregulation mechanisms or a thermal effect on brain cells, and not a direct effect of 1.6 GHz radiation on neuronal components.
Finding
The changes noted fit well with power distribution determined by thermographic imagery of irradiated rats, and indicate that these changes are the result of the microwave-induced hyperthermia.
In their words
“The changes noted fit well with power distribution determined by thermographic imagery of irradiated rats, and indicate that these changes are the result of the microwave-induced hyperthermia.”
Figures from the Original Paper
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Show BibTeX
@article{the_effect_of_1_6_ghz_radiation_on_neurotransmitters_in_discrete_areas_of_the_ra_g3744,
author = {James H. Merritt and Richard H. Hartzell and James W. Frazer},
title = {THE EFFECT OF 1.6 GHZ RADIATION ON NEUROTRANSMITTERS IN DISCRETE AREAS OF THE RAT BRAIN},
year = {1976},
}