Study type: Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Whole-body exposure to 2.45 GHz electromagnetic fields does not alter radial-maze performance in rats med./bio.

Published in: Behav Brain Res 2004; 155 (1): 37-43

Aim of study (acc. to author)

The study was designed to replicate a previous study of Lai et al. (publication 109). Rats were exposed to microwave signals identical to those used in the previous study and subsequently tested in a 12-arm radial maze to assess memory performance.

Endpoint

Exposure

Exposure Parameters
Exposure 1: 2.45 GHz
Modulation type: pulsed
Exposure duration: continuous for 45 min
  • SAR: 800 µW/g average over time (partial body) (brain averaged)
  • SAR: 600 µW/g average over time (whole body) (determined by FDTD (finite-difference time domain))

Exposure 1

Main characteristics
Frequency 2.45 GHz
Charakteristic
  • guided field
Exposure duration continuous for 45 min
Modulation
Modulation type pulsed
Pulse width 2 µs
Repetition frequency 500 Hz
Exposure setup
Exposure source
  • circular waveguide (93 cm long, 20 cm in diameter)
Chamber transparent cylindrical plastic chamber/20 cm long, 17.5 cm in diameter, 13.5 cm high.
Setup Each rat was placed in a transparent cylindrical chamber located in the center of the waveguide.
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
SAR 800 µW/g average over time calculated partial body brain averaged
SAR 600 µW/g average over time calculated whole body determined by FDTD (finite-difference time domain)

Reference articles

Exposed system:

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

Investigated system:
Time of investigation:
  • after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

The performance of exposed rats was comparable to that found in sham-exposed or in naive animals (no contact with the exposure system). Regarding the methodological details provided by Lai et al. on their testing protocol, the present results might suggest that the microwave-induced behavioral alterations measured by these authors might have had more to do with factors liable to performance bias than with spatial working memory per se.

Study character:

Study funded by

Replicated studies

Comments on this article

Related articles