Electromagnetic Treatment to Old Alzheimer's Mice Reverses β-Amyloid Deposition, Modifies Cerebral Blood Flow, and Provides Selected Cognitive Benefit

Abstract

Few studies have investigated physiologic and cognitive effects of “long-term" electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure in humans or animals. Our recent studies have provided initial insight into the long-term impact of adulthood EMF exposure (GSM, pulsed/modulated, 918 MHz, 0.25–1.05 W/kg) by showing 6+ months of daily EMF treatment protects against or reverses cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's transgenic (Tg) mice, while even having cognitive benefit to normal mice. Mechanistically, EMF-induced cognitive benefits involve suppression of brain β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation/deposition in Tg mice and brain mitochondrial enhancement in both Tg and normal mice. The present study extends this work by showing that daily EMF treatment given to very old (21–27 month) Tg mice over a 2-month period reverses their very advanced brain Aβ aggregation/deposition. These very old Tg mice and their normal littermates together showed an increase in general memory function in the Y-maze task, although not in more complex tasks. Measurement of both body and brain temperature at intervals during the 2-month EMF treatment, as well as in a separate group of Tg mice during a 12-day treatment period, revealed no appreciable increases in brain temperature (and no/slight increases in body temperature) during EMF “ON" periods. Thus, the neuropathologic/cognitive benefits of EMF treatment occur without brain hyperthermia. Finally, regional cerebral blood flow in cerebral cortex was determined to be reduced in both Tg and normal mice after 2 months of EMF treatment, most probably through cerebrovascular constriction induced by freed/disaggregated Aβ (Tg mice) and slight body hyperthermia during “ON" periods. These results demonstrate that long-term EMF treatment can provide general cognitive benefit to very old Alzheimer's Tg mice and normal mice, as well as reversal of advanced Aβ neuropathology in Tg mice without brain heating. Results further underscore the potential for EMF treatment against AD.

1950 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic fields do not aggravate memory deficits in 5xFAD mice

“…These previous studies suggested that long‐term RF‐EMF exposure might be required to improve cognitive performance in AD mice, although some previous studies also showed a beneficial memory effect following exposure for periods shorter than 3 months. For example, in old (21–27 months old) APPsw AD model mice, 2 months of RF‐EMF exposure seemed to produce a cognitive benefit, as demonstrated by Y‐maze and radial arm water maze performance [Arendash et al, 2012]. In the triple transgenic mouse model of AD (3xTg‐AD), exposure to 2.4 GHz EMF signals for 28 days resulted in memory enhancement when mice were assessed via cognitive interference and Barnes maze test [Banaceur et al, 2013].…”

“…In contrast, no effect of RF‐EMF exposure on spatial learning and working memory tasks was found [Sienkiewicz et al, 2000; Dubreuil et al, 2003; Maaroufi et al, 2014]. Moreover, other studies have reported a beneficial effect of RF‐EMF on cognitive function [Dragicevic et al, 2011; Arendash et al, 2012; Banaceur et al, 2013]. Thus, there is some controversy regarding the effects of RF‐EMF on cognitive functions and associated hippocampal functions, and further mechanistic investigations and time‐point analyses are needed.…”

Searching for the Perfect Wave: The Effect of Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields on Cells

“…Although recent evidence would suggest otherwise, [61,62] it has been demonstrated that chronic pulse application of RF can revert both deposition of β amyloid and ameliorate cognitive deficit in mice [63]. A similar effect was also obtained in either wild type and mutated mice [64], where RF exposure increased mitochondrial activity and reduced cerebral blood fluid and seemed to facilitate soluble β amyloid removal from the CNS district. Interestingly, Banaceur and co-workers [65] pointed their attention to another aspect not yet fully investigated namely Wi-Fi radiofrequencies (2.40 GHz SAR 1.6 W/kg).…”

Improvement of spatial learning by facilitating large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel with transcranial magnetic stimulation in Alzheimer's disease model mice

“…By contrast, neurobiological evidence that might support a therapeutic application of TMS to AD is lacking. It is reported that exposure to very weak high-frequency electromagnetic field (918 MHz), such as the one emitted from a cellular phone to the phone caller, improves cognitive deficits and reduced Ab burden in AD model mice (Arendash et al, 2012), though this procedure and TMS are different. TMS is shown to induce or modulate synaptic plasticity in normal rodents or rabbits (Wang et al, 1996;Levkovitz et al, 1999;Ogiue-Ikeda et al, 2003) and in aging rats as well (Levkovitz and Segal, 2001), but not yet in AD model animals.…”