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Cognitive impairment in rats after long-term exposure to GSM-900 mobile phone radiation

Nittby, Henrietta LU ; Grafström, Gustav LU ; Tian, Dongping LU ; Malmgren, Lars LU ; Brun, Arne LU ; Persson, Bertil R LU orcid ; Salford, Leif LU and Eberhardt, Jacob LU (2008) In Bioelectromagnetics 29(3). p.219-232
Abstract
Considering the frequent use of mobile phones, we have directed attention to possible implications on cognitive functions. In this study we investigated in a rat model the long-term effects of protracted exposure to Global System for Mobile Communication-900 MHz (GSM-900) radiation. Out of a total of 56 rats, 32 were exposed for 2 h each week for 55 weeks to radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation at different SAR levels (0.6 and 60 mW/kg at the initiation of the experimental period) emitted by a (GSM-900) test phone. Sixteen animals were sham exposed and eight animals were cage controls, which never left the animal house. After this protracted exposure, GSM-900 exposed rats were compared to sham exposed controls. Effects on exploratory... (More)
Considering the frequent use of mobile phones, we have directed attention to possible implications on cognitive functions. In this study we investigated in a rat model the long-term effects of protracted exposure to Global System for Mobile Communication-900 MHz (GSM-900) radiation. Out of a total of 56 rats, 32 were exposed for 2 h each week for 55 weeks to radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation at different SAR levels (0.6 and 60 mW/kg at the initiation of the experimental period) emitted by a (GSM-900) test phone. Sixteen animals were sham exposed and eight animals were cage controls, which never left the animal house. After this protracted exposure, GSM-900 exposed rats were compared to sham exposed controls. Effects on exploratory behaviour were evaluated in the open-field test, in which no difference was seen. Effects on cognitive functions were evaluated in the episodic-like memory test. In our study, GSM exposed rats had impaired memory for objects and their temporal order of presentation, compared to sham exposed controls (P = 0.02). Detecting the place in which an object was presented was not affected by GSM exposure. Our results suggest significantly reduced memory functions in rats after GSM microwave exposure (P = 0.02). (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
learning, open-field-test, memory, microwaves, episodic-like memory test, exploratory behaviour, anxiety
in
Bioelectromagnetics
volume
29
issue
3
pages
219 - 232
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • wos:000254479100008
  • scopus:41149117406
  • pmid:18044737
ISSN
0197-8462
DOI
10.1002/bem.20386
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Neurosurgery (013026000), Radiation Physics, Lund (013034000), Max-laboratory (011012005), Pathology, (Lund) (013030000)
id
47d46024-ce5f-455b-8101-d0f23c890677 (old id 1183055)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:22:15
date last changed
2022-03-13 17:00:24
@article{47d46024-ce5f-455b-8101-d0f23c890677,
  abstract     = {{Considering the frequent use of mobile phones, we have directed attention to possible implications on cognitive functions. In this study we investigated in a rat model the long-term effects of protracted exposure to Global System for Mobile Communication-900 MHz (GSM-900) radiation. Out of a total of 56 rats, 32 were exposed for 2 h each week for 55 weeks to radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation at different SAR levels (0.6 and 60 mW/kg at the initiation of the experimental period) emitted by a (GSM-900) test phone. Sixteen animals were sham exposed and eight animals were cage controls, which never left the animal house. After this protracted exposure, GSM-900 exposed rats were compared to sham exposed controls. Effects on exploratory behaviour were evaluated in the open-field test, in which no difference was seen. Effects on cognitive functions were evaluated in the episodic-like memory test. In our study, GSM exposed rats had impaired memory for objects and their temporal order of presentation, compared to sham exposed controls (P = 0.02). Detecting the place in which an object was presented was not affected by GSM exposure. Our results suggest significantly reduced memory functions in rats after GSM microwave exposure (P = 0.02).}},
  author       = {{Nittby, Henrietta and Grafström, Gustav and Tian, Dongping and Malmgren, Lars and Brun, Arne and Persson, Bertil R and Salford, Leif and Eberhardt, Jacob}},
  issn         = {{0197-8462}},
  keywords     = {{learning; open-field-test; memory; microwaves; episodic-like memory test; exploratory behaviour; anxiety}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{219--232}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Bioelectromagnetics}},
  title        = {{Cognitive impairment in rats after long-term exposure to GSM-900 mobile phone radiation}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bem.20386}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/bem.20386}},
  volume       = {{29}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}