Effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields on learning and memory abilities of STZ-induced dementia rats.
Li Y, Zhang Y, Wang W, Zhang Y, Yu Y, Cheing GL, Pan W. · 2019
View Original AbstractPulsed magnetic fields at 10 mT improved dementia symptoms by 66% in rats, suggesting therapeutic EMF applications may benefit cognitive health.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats with chemically-induced dementia to pulsed magnetic fields (10 mT at 20 Hz) and found dramatic improvements in learning and memory abilities. The treated rats showed 66% faster escape times in maze tests and 55% shorter swimming distances compared to untreated dementia rats. The magnetic field exposure also increased expression of genes linked to brain growth and repair, suggesting the fields may help protect against cognitive decline.
Why This Matters
This study adds compelling evidence to a growing body of research showing that specific types of electromagnetic fields can have therapeutic effects on brain function. The 10 mT magnetic field strength used here is significantly stronger than typical household exposures (which range from 0.01-1 mT), but falls within the range of therapeutic devices already used in clinical settings. What makes this research particularly noteworthy is the dramatic magnitude of improvement - a 66% reduction in cognitive impairment represents a substantial therapeutic effect that would be considered clinically significant in human studies. The finding that EMF exposure increased IGF-2 gene expression provides a plausible biological mechanism for these cognitive improvements, suggesting the fields may stimulate natural brain repair processes. This research challenges the common assumption that all EMF exposure is inherently harmful and highlights the importance of frequency, intensity, and exposure patterns in determining biological effects.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 10 mG
- Source/Device
- 20 hz
Exposure Context
This study used 10 mG for magnetic fields:
- 500Kx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 100Kx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 1 mG
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
This study aimed to determine the effects of pulsed EMF on Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced dementia rats.
Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to one of the four groups: (i) control, (ii) norma...
The results showed that the mean escape latency in STZ-induced dementia rats was reduced by 66% unde...
Our findings indicate that the pulsed EMF exposure can improve the ability of learning and memory in STZ-induced dementia rats and this effect may be related to the process of IGF signal transduction, suggesting a potential role for the pulsed EMF for the amelioration of cognition impairment.
Show BibTeX
@article{y_2019_effects_of_pulsed_electromagnetic_675,
author = {Li Y and Zhang Y and Wang W and Zhang Y and Yu Y and Cheing GL and Pan W.},
title = {Effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields on learning and memory abilities of STZ-induced dementia rats.},
year = {2019},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30880541/},
}