Long Suspected of causing brain tumors, cell phones are now being eyed as key allies in the fight against Alzheimer's disease, US researchers said.
Researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) found, to their surprise, that 96 mice they zapped twice daily for an hour each time with electromagnetic waves similar to those generated by US mobile phones benefited from the exposure.
Older mice saw deposits of beta-amyloid - a protein fragment that accumulates in the brain of Alzheimer's sufferers to form the disease's signature plaques - wiped out and their memories improved after long term exposure to mobile phones, the study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Diseases showed.
Young adult mice with no apprent signs of memory impairment were protected against Alzheimer's disease after several month's exposure to the phone waves, and the memories of normal mice with no genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's disease were boosted after exposure to the electromagnetic waves.
Surprisingly, the researchers themselves were the most astonished by the outcomes of their experiments. Several years ago, they embarked on a study with the firm belief that "the electromagnetic fields from a cell phone would be deleterious to Alzheimer's mice." Gary Arendash, the lead author and a professor at USF, recalled their initial expectations, stating, "When we got our initial results showing a beneficial effect, I thought, 'Give it a few more months and it will get bad for them.' But it never got bad; instead, we continued to observe these advantageous effects in both the Alzheimer's and normal mice."
The revelation of these effects took several months of exposure, equivalent to many years in human terms, before they became apparent in the mice. The experts emphasize the need for further research to determine, among other things, the optimal "dosage" of electromagnetic waves, such as the 918 megahertz frequency used in European studies, or potentially other frequencies. Additionally, the research community is keen to explore the duration of effective "treatment" required to maximize the benefits in the context of Alzheimer's and other related conditions.