Spatial memory recovery in Alzheimer's rat model by electromagnetic field exposure.
Akbarnejad Z, Esmaeilpour K, Shabani M, Asadi-Shekaari M, Saeedi-Goraghani M, Ahmadi M. · 2017
View Original AbstractSpecific electromagnetic field frequencies may actually help restore memory function damaged by Alzheimer's disease in laboratory studies.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed rats with Alzheimer's-like brain damage to 50 Hz electromagnetic fields (the same frequency as power lines) for 14 days and tested their memory using a water maze. The electromagnetic field exposure significantly improved the rats' learning and memory abilities, even reversing some of the cognitive damage. This suggests that certain electromagnetic frequencies might have therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative conditions.
Why This Matters
This study challenges the common assumption that all electromagnetic field exposure is harmful to brain function. The researchers used 50 Hz fields at 10 mT, which is significantly stronger than typical household exposures but within the range of some therapeutic devices. What makes this research particularly intriguing is that the electromagnetic fields didn't just prevent cognitive decline - they actually reversed existing damage in the Alzheimer's rat model. While we shouldn't rush to conclusions about human applications, this adds to a growing body of research suggesting that specific EMF frequencies and intensities might have beneficial neurological effects. The science demonstrates that EMF interactions with biological systems are far more complex than simple 'harmful' or 'harmless' categories suggest.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 10 W/kg
- Source/Device
- 50 Hz
- Exposure Duration
- 14 consecutive days
Exposure Context
This study used 10 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):
- 25x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.4 W/kg
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 investigate the effect of ELF-EMF exposure (50 Hz, 10 mT) on spatial learning and memory changes in AD rats.
Amyloid-β (Aβ) 1-42 was injected into lateral ventricle to establish an AD rat model. The rats were ...
AD rats showed a significant impairment in learning and memory compared to control rats. The results...
Our results showed that application of ELF-MF not only has improving effect on different cognitive disorder signs of AD animals, but also disrupts the processes of AD rat model formation.
Show BibTeX
@article{z_2017_spatial_memory_recovery_in_801,
author = {Akbarnejad Z and Esmaeilpour K and Shabani M and Asadi-Shekaari M and Saeedi-Goraghani M and Ahmadi M.},
title = {Spatial memory recovery in Alzheimer's rat model by electromagnetic field exposure.},
year = {2017},
doi = {10.1080/00207454.2017.1411353},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00207454.2017.1411353},
}