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

Henrietta Nittby, Gustav Grafström, Dongping Tian, Lars Malmgren, Arne Brun, Bertil R Persson, Leif Salford, Jacob Eberhardt

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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).
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)219-232
JournalBioelectromagnetics
Volume29
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2008

Bibliographical note

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)

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Surgery
  • Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging
  • Neurology
  • Cancer and Oncology

Free keywords

  • learning
  • open-field-test
  • memory
  • microwaves
  • episodic-like memory test
  • exploratory behaviour
  • anxiety

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