Glucose administration attenuates spatial memory deficits induced by chronic low-power-density microwave exposure
Lu Y, Xu S, He M, Chen C, Zhang L, Liu C, Chu F, Yu Z, Zhou Z, Zhong M. · 2012
View Original AbstractChronic WiFi-frequency radiation impaired rats' memory by disrupting brain glucose metabolism, but the damage was reversible with glucose treatment.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats to 2.45 GHz microwave radiation (the same frequency used by WiFi and microwave ovens) for 3 hours daily over 30 days at very low power levels. The radiation caused significant memory and learning problems, and the rats' brain cells had trouble absorbing glucose, which is essential for brain function. However, when researchers gave the rats extra glucose, it reversed the memory problems.
Why This Matters
This study reveals a concerning mechanism by which microwave radiation may impair cognitive function. The exposure level of 1 mW/cm² is well within the range of everyday wireless devices, making these findings particularly relevant for anyone using WiFi, smartphones, or other 2.45 GHz devices regularly. What's especially significant is that the researchers identified a specific biological pathway - reduced glucose uptake in the hippocampus, the brain's memory center - that explains how RF radiation causes cognitive problems. The fact that glucose supplementation reversed the memory deficits suggests this isn't permanent brain damage, but rather a functional disruption of how brain cells process energy. This adds to the growing body of evidence showing that chronic, low-level microwave exposure can affect brain function through measurable biological mechanisms, not just theoretical concerns.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.2 and 0.7 W/kg
- Power Density
- 1 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 2.45 GHz
- Exposure Duration
- continuous for 3 h/day on 30 days
Exposure Context
This study used 1 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 100Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 1.7Mx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
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, we investigated whether glucose treatment attenuated memory deficits caused by chronic low-power-density microwave (MW) exposure, and the effect of MW exposure on hippocampal glucose uptake.
We exposed Wistar rats to 2.45 GHz pulsed MW irradiation at a power density of 1 mW/cm2 for 3 h/day,...
Our results indicate that glucose administration attenuates the spatial memory deficits induced by c...
Show BibTeX
@article{y_2012_glucose_administration_attenuates_spatial_132,
author = {Lu Y and Xu S and He M and Chen C and Zhang L and Liu C and Chu F and Yu Z and Zhou Z and Zhong M.},
title = {Glucose administration attenuates spatial memory deficits induced by chronic low-power-density microwave exposure},
year = {2012},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031938412001680},
}