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Electromagnetic waves of cell phones may thwart Alzheimer's: Study
by Jamie Anderson - January 7, 2010 - comments
New research has indicated that the electro-magnetic field exposure could be an effective, non-invasive and drug-free way to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease in humans
Tampa, Fla., January 7 -- After scores of studies highlighting the adverse impacts of cell phones, there is finally a study that talks of their potential benefits.
The findings of the new study suggest that the electromagnetic waves that emanate from these omnipresent gadgets may put a stop to or even reverse Alzheimer's disease.
Findings of the study
The study was conducted on normal mice who had long-term exposure to the radiations and avoided developing Alzheimer's. The researchers found the older mice with Alzheimer's, improving memory and other cognitives.
Normal mice also developed better memory capacity after electromagnetic waves exposure, the team noted.
Autopsies conducted on the mice discovered that the waves had reduced the beta-amyloid protein plaques, believed to cause Alzheimer’s disease, in the mouse brain.
"In the Alzheimer's mice, the cell phone exposure seems to have two effects that directly affect the disease process," said study author Gary Arendash, a research professor with the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.
"One is that electromagnetic fields suppress the aggregation of the bad protein. If the newly formed bad protein, beta amyloid, can't form plaques, it's more likely to be removed from the brain into the blood," noted Arendash.
Surprise to researchers
The researchers were not expecting such positive results and were themselves surprised at the findings.
"You can imagine our surprise when we did our first memory assessment and they were actually better," said Arendash.
He said that the researchers observed the beneficial effects of the radiations, not once, but “in test after test, in group after group.”
Caveat Emptor
While the findings may be momentous and may well lay the foundation to the cure of the fatal disease Alzheimer's, William Thies, chief medical and scientific officer at the Alzheimer's Association has a word of caution.
"This article is certainly no call to self-medicate by spending more time on your cell phone, especially in risky environments such as while driving," Thies said.
"No one should feel they are being protected from Alzheimer's/dementia/cognitive decline by using their cell phones based on this study," suggested Thies.
Moreover, since there is dearth of data on the long-range effects of electromagnetic waves on the brain, simply getting hooked to the cell phones on the basis of this research is not advisable.
The other established adverse affects of cell phones on the human body is brain tumor.
The findings of the study warrant further research to find out the impact of the electromagnetic waves on other animals as well. These have been reported in the Jan. 6 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.