Effects of exposure to 50 Hz electromagnetic fields on Morris water-maze performance of prenatal and neonatal mice

الملخص EN

Extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF), such as those originating from residential and occupational power lines, household appliances and medical devices, have been reported repeatedly to produce a variety of biological effects, which may induce a number of changes in behavioral differences of different living species, like insects and rodents.

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the possible effect of an extremely low-frequency magnetic field ELF-MF (50 Hz, 1 mT) on spatial learning and memory functions in mice (prenatal and neonatal exposed mice) following a continuous 7-day exposure, using Morris water-maze.

Immature mice have been chosen for this study since ; the immature rodent brain still has the capacity to undergo proliferation, differentiation and re-organization and more closely resembles the developing brain of a human child.

Thus, the immature rodent brain may provide a sensitive and useful animal model to study the possible biological effects of ELF-MF.

Our results provide convincing evidence that long time MF exposure to immature mice; causes appreciable long term deficit in learning abilities.

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