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Brain & Nervous System103 citations

Low-level exposure to pulsed 900 MHz microwave radiation does not cause deficits in the performance of a spatial learning task in mice.

No Effects Found

Sienkiewicz ZJ, Blackwell RP, Haylock RG, Saunders RD, Cobb BL · 2000

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This study found no memory or learning deficits in mice exposed to low-level 900 MHz radiation for 10 days.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed mice to 900 MHz radiation (similar to early cell phone signals) for 45 minutes daily over 10 days and tested their ability to learn and remember spatial tasks. The mice showed no differences in learning performance or memory compared to unexposed control mice. This suggests that low-level cell phone radiation at these specific conditions doesn't impair basic cognitive functions in mice.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 900 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 900 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

The study examined exposure from: 900 MHz Duration: 45 min each day for 10 days

Study Details

There is some concern that short-term memory loss or other cognitive effects may be associated with the use of mobile cellular telephones. In this experiment, the effect of repeated, acute exposure to a low intensity 900 MHz radiofrequency (RF) field pulsed at 217 Hz was explored using an appetitively-motivated spatial learning and working memory task.

Adult male C57BL/6J mice were exposed under far field conditions in a GTEM cell for 45 min each day ...

No significant field-dependent effects on performance were observed in choice accuracy or in total t...

These results suggest that exposure to RF radiation simulating a digital wireless telephone (GSM) signal under the conditions of this experiment does not affect the acquisition of the learned response. Further studies are planned to explore the effects of other SARs on learned behavior.

Cite This Study
Sienkiewicz ZJ, Blackwell RP, Haylock RG, Saunders RD, Cobb BL (2000). Low-level exposure to pulsed 900 MHz microwave radiation does not cause deficits in the performance of a spatial learning task in mice. Bioelectromagnetics 21(3):151-158, 2000.
Show BibTeX
@article{zj_2000_lowlevel_exposure_to_pulsed_3399,
  author = {Sienkiewicz ZJ and Blackwell RP and Haylock RG and Saunders RD and Cobb BL},
  title = {Low-level exposure to pulsed 900 MHz microwave radiation does not cause deficits in the performance of a spatial learning task in mice.},
  year = {2000},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10723014/},
}
PubMed: 10723014

Cited By (103 papers)

View all 103 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

No, mice exposed to 900 MHz radiation for 45 minutes daily over 10 days showed no differences in spatial learning performance compared to unexposed mice. The 2000 study found no impairment in choice accuracy or task completion times during maze learning tests.
Research shows pulsed 900 MHz radiation does not impair memory formation in mice. A controlled study exposing mice to GSM-like signals found no deficits in spatial memory tasks, suggesting basic cognitive functions remain unaffected at these exposure levels.
Researchers tested mice throughout a 10-day exposure period, with daily 45-minute sessions of 900 MHz radiation exposure followed by spatial learning assessments. The study monitored both learning acquisition and memory performance across the entire experimental duration.
The study simulated a GSM digital wireless telephone signal at 900 MHz frequency. This pulsed microwave radiation matched the characteristics of early cell phone technology, allowing researchers to assess potential cognitive effects from realistic mobile phone exposure conditions.
No, the Sienkiewicz team found no cognitive deficits from low-level 900 MHz exposure. Their research demonstrated that mice maintained normal spatial learning abilities despite daily radiation exposure, with no field-dependent effects on task performance or completion times.