Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Whole body exposure with GSM 900MHz affects spatial memory in mice med./bio.

By: Fragopoulou AF, Miltiadous P, Stamatakis A, Stylianopoulou F, Koussoulakos SL, Margaritis LH

Published in: Pathophysiology 2010; 17 (3): 179-187

Aim of study (acc. to author)

To study the effects of mobile phone exposure on spatial learning and memory in mice.

Background/further details

24 mice were divided into one exposure group and one sham exposure group (each n=12). The mice were trained to find a submerged escape platform located in a fixed position during four consecutive daily sessions (see Morris water maze). Each session consisted of four trials (with four different starting positions). Each trial had a maximum duration of 60 s and at the end of each trial the animals were allowed to remain on the platform for 20 s. Subsequently, they were returned to their home cage and left there to rest for 15 min before the beginning of the next trial. Exposure or sham exposure was continued during the intervals between the trials.

Endpoint

cognitive/behavioral endpoints: learning and spatial memory

Exposure

- PW pulsed wave
- mobile communications
- digital mobile phone
- GSM

Exposure	Parameters
Exposure 1: 900 MHz Modulation type: pulsed Exposure duration: 1 h 55 min. for the first 3 days (1 h prior to the first trial, 3 x 15 min. between trials, 10 min. after the last trial); 3 hr 45 min. on the fourth days (1 h prior to the first trial, 3 x 15 min. between trials, 2 h prior to the probe trial)	electric field strength: 23 V/m minimum (inside the cages) electric field strength: 36 V/m maximum (inside the cages) power density: 0.05 mW/cm² minimum (inside the cages) power density: 0.2 mW/cm² maximum (inside the cages) SAR: 0.41 W/kg minimum (whole body) SAR: 0.98 W/kg maximum (whole body)

Exposure 1

Main characteristics

Frequency	900 MHz
Type	electromagnetic field
Charakteristic	near field
Exposure duration	1 h 55 min. for the first 3 days (1 h prior to the first trial, 3 x 15 min. between trials, 10 min. after the last trial); 3 hr 45 min. on the fourth days (1 h prior to the first trial, 3 x 15 min. between trials, 2 h prior to the probe trial)

Modulation

Modulation type	pulsed

Exposure setup

Exposure source	cellular phone GSM handset
Setup	mobile phone handset placed under the 267 mm x 207 mm x 140 mm Plexiglas cage
Sham exposure	A sham exposure was conducted.

Parameters

Measurand	Value	Type	Method	Mass	Remarks
electric field strength	23 V/m	minimum	measured	-	inside the cages
electric field strength	36 V/m	maximum	measured	-	inside the cages
power density	0.05 mW/cm²	minimum	measured	-	inside the cages
power density	0.2 mW/cm²	maximum	measured	-	inside the cages
SAR	0.41 W/kg	minimum	calculated	whole body	-
SAR	0.98 W/kg	maximum	calculated	whole body	-

Exposed system:

animal
mouse/BALB/c
whole body

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

cognitive/behavioral endpoints: learning and spatial memory (Morris water maze: escape latency, swim distance to escape on the platform, mean velocity of swimming)

Investigated system:

investigation on living organism

Investigated organ system:

brain/CNS

Time of investigation:

during exposure
after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

The data revealed that during learning sessions, exposed animals showed a deficit in transferring the acquired spatial information across training days (i.e. an increased escape latency was found and an increased distance swam, compared to the sham exposed animals, on the first trial of training days 2-4). Moreover, during the memory probe trial (i.e. absence of the platform) sham exposed animals showed the expected preference for the target quadrant, while the exposed animals showed no preference, indicating that the exposed mice had deficits in memory consolidation and/or retrieval of the learned spatial information.
These data showed that exposure of mice to electromagnetic fields emitted by a mobile phone at SAR values within the ICNIRP guidelines affects the spatial learning and memory function in Balb/c mice.

Study character:

medical/biological study
experimental study
full/main study
blind study

Study funded by

University of Athens, Greece

Deshmukh PS et al. (2016): Effect of Low Level Subchronic Microwave Radiation on Rat Brain
Bouji M et al. (2016): Neurobiological effects of repeated radiofrequency exposures in male senescent rats
Razavinasab M et al. (2016): Maternal mobile phone exposure alters intrinsic electrophysiological properties of CA1 pyramidal neurons in rat offspring
Narayanan SN et al. (2015): Possible cause for altered spatial cognition of prepubescent rats exposed to chronic radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation
Deshmukh PS et al. (2015): Cognitive impairment and neurogenotoxic effects in rats exposed to low-intensity microwave radiation
Klose M et al. (2014): Effects of Early-Onset Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field Exposure (GSM 900 MHz) on Behavior and Memory in Rats
Saikhedkar N et al. (2014): Effects of mobile phone radiation (900 MHz radiofrequency) on structure and functions of rat brain
de Caires Jr LC et al. (2014): Behavior and memory evaluation of Wistar rats exposed to 1.8 GHz radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation
Banaceur S et al. (2013): Whole body exposure to 2.4 GHz WIFI signals: Effects on cognitive impairment in adult triple transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (3xTg-AD)
Ntzouni MP et al. (2013): Transient and cumulative memory impairments induced by GSM 1.8 GHz cell phone signal in a mouse model
Hao D et al. (2013): Effects of long-term electromagnetic field exposure on spatial learning and memory in rats
Lu Y et al. (2012): Glucose administration attenuates spatial memory deficits induced by chronic low-power-density microwave exposure
Chaturvedi CM et al. (2011): 2.45 GHz (CW) microwave irradiation alters circadian organization, spatial memory, DNA structure in the brain cells and blood cell counts of male mice, Mus musculus
Dragicevic N et al. (2011): Long-term electromagnetic field treatment enhances brain mitochondrial function of both Alzheimer's transgenic mice and normal mice: a mechanism for electromagnetic field-induced cognitive benefit?
Ntzouni MP et al. (2011): Short-term memory in mice is affected by mobile phone radiation
Arendash GW et al. (2010): Electromagnetic field treatment protects against and reverses cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease mice
Daniels WM et al. (2009): The effect of electromagnetic radiation in the mobile phone range on the behaviour of the rat
Narayanan SN et al. (2009): Spatial memory performance of Wistar rats exposed to mobile phone
Wiholm C et al. (2009): Mobile phone exposure and spatial memory
Li M et al. (2008): Elevation of plasma corticosterone levels and hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor translocation in rats: a potential mechanism for cognition impairment following chronic low-power-density microwave exposure
Ammari M et al. (2008): Effect of head-only sub-chronic and chronic exposure to 900-MHz GSM electromagnetic fields on spatial memory in rats
Dubreuil D et al. (2003): Head-only exposure to GSM 900-MHz electromagnetic fields does not alter rat's memory in spatial and non-spatial tasks
Dubreuil D et al. (2002): Does head-only exposure to GSM-900 electromagnetic fields affect the performance of rats in spatial learning tasks?
Wang B et al. (2000): Acute exposure to pulsed 2450 MHz microwaves affects water-maze performance of rats