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Electromagnetic Field Treatment Protects Against and Reverses Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease Mice

Electromagnetic Field Treatment Protects Against and Reverses Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease Mice

JournalJournal of Alzheimer's Disease
PublisherIOS Press
ISSN1387-2877 (Print)
1875-8908 (Online)
SubjectMedicine, Clinical Neurology and Internal Medicine
IssueVolume 19, Number 1 / 2010
Pages191-210
DOI10.3233/JAD-2010-1228
Pages191-210
Subject GroupMedicine and Health
Online DateThursday, May 20, 2010
Publisher's Copyright Statement
Authors
Gary W. Arendash1, 2, Juan Sanchez-Ramos3, 4, Takashi Mori5, Malgorzata Mamcarz2, Xiaoyang Lin3, Melissa Runfeldt2, Li Wang2, 3, Guixin Zhang2, 3, 6, Vasyl Sava4, Jun Tan7, Chuanhai Cao2, 3, 8

1The Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Tampa, FL, USA
2Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
3The Byrd Alzheimer's Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
4Department of Neurology, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
5Departments of Medical Science and Pathology, Saitama Medical Center and Saitama Medical University, Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan
6Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
7Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
8Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

Abstract

Despite numerous studies, there is no definitive evidence that high-frequency electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure is a risk to human health. To the contrary, this report presents the first evidence that long-term EMF exposure directly associated with cell phone use (918 MHz; 0.25 w/kg) provides cognitive benefits. Both cognitive-protective and cognitive-enhancing effects of EMF exposure were discovered for both normal mice and transgenic mice destined to develop Alzheimer's-like cognitive impairment. The cognitive interference task utilized in this study was designed from, and measure-for-measure analogous to, a human cognitive interference task. In Alzheimer's disease mice, long-term EMF exposure reduced brain amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition through Aβ anti-aggregation actions and increased brain temperature during exposure periods. Several inter-related mechanisms of EMF action are proposed, including increased Aβ clearance from the brains of Alzheimer's disease mice, increased neuronal activity, and increased cerebral blood flow. Although caution should be taken in extrapolating these mouse studies to humans, we conclude that EMF exposure may represent a non-invasive, non-pharmacologic therapeutic against Alzheimer's disease and an effective memory-enhancing approach in general.

Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-β, electromagnetic fields, memory, transgenic mice
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