Cell Phone Exposure Could Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease

A new study shows that long-term electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure directly associated with cell phone use provides both cognitive-protective and cognitive-enhancing effects against Alzheimer's Disease (AD) in animal studies.

Researchers at the University of South Florida (USF; Tampa, FL, USA) exposed 96 normal and transgenic mice (destined to develop Alzheimer's-like cognitive impairment) to EMF transmissions at 918 MHz and 250 mW/kg, the transmission bandwidth and signal power level commonly used by cellular phones. Both the AD and normal mice were exposed to the EMF generated by standard cell phone use for two one-hour periods each day for seven to nine months, with their cages arranged around a centrally-located antenna generating the cell phone signal.

The researchers found that in the AD mice, long-term EMF exposure reduced brain amyloid-beta (Abeta) deposition through Abeta antiaggregation actions. The EMF also prevented the Abeta build-up in younger AD mice. In fact, the Alzheimer's mice performed as well on tests measuring memory and thinking skills as aged mice without dementia; when older AD mice already exhibiting memory problems were exposed to the EMF, their memory impairment disappeared. In fact, months of cell phone exposure even boosted the memories of normal mice to above-normal levels.

The memory benefits of cell phone exposure took months to show up, suggesting that a similar effect in humans would take years if cell phone-level electromagnetic exposure were provided. The researchers concluded that EMF exposure could be an effective, noninvasive, and drug-free way to prevent and treat AD in humans, and are currently evaluating whether different sets of EMF frequencies and strengths will produce more rapid and even greater cognitive benefits. The study was published in the January 2010 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (JAD).

"If we can determine the best set of electromagnetic parameters to effectively prevent beta-amyloid aggregation and remove preexisting beta amyloid deposits from the brain, this technology could be quickly translated to human benefit against AD,” said study coauthor Chuanhai Cao, Ph.D., of the department of cell biology, microbiology, and molecular biology. "Since production and aggregation of beta-amyloid occurs in traumatic brain injury, particularly in soldiers during war, the therapeutic impact of our findings may extend beyond Alzheimer's disease.”

"It will take some time to determine the exact mechanisms involved in these beneficial memory effects,” added lead author Gary Arendash, Ph.D. "One thing is clear, however - the cognitive benefits of long-term electromagnetic exposure are real, because we saw them in both protection- and treatment-based experiments involving Alzheimer's mice, as well as in normal mice.”

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