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Cell phone waves reverse Alzheimer's, USF research says

University of South Florida

University of South Florida researchers exposed laboratory rats to cell phone signals for an extended period of time.

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By LINDSAY PETERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 6, 2010

TAMPA - First they thought extensive cell phone use caused brain cancer. Now researchers are saying it could actually be good for the brain.

Alzheimer's researchers at the University of South Florida say they have the first evidence that long-term exposure to the electromagnetic waves associated with cell phones can fight the memory loss of Alzheimer's.

This exposure reversed memory loss in mice already demented by Alzheimer's and it protected mice genetically altered to get the disease, said lead researcher Gary Arendash. It even improved the memories of healthy mice.

He and others involved in the study reported the results today in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

The USF study mice didn't wear tiny headsets. Rather, their cages were placed in a circle around an antenna that emitted a signal like that of a cell phone pressed against a human ear.

The exposure lasted for two hours a day for seven to nine months. It would take a decade or more of exposure with a human to have the same impact.

Researchers measured the benefits through tests of the mice's memories and studies of their brains during autopsies. They say the exposure erased deposits of the protein beta-amyloid in the older demented rats and prevented its buildup in mice not yet affected by the disease but engineered to get it.

An excessive accumulation of beta-amyloid in the brain creates the sticky plaques that are the key sign of Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers don't know exactly why the exposure works, but Arendash said somehow it causes brain cells to become more active and loosen the toxic amyloid, which allows it to be flushed out of the system.

"We just don't know any further," Arendash said, but researchers are certain the benefits are real. "That's why we're applying for more grant support."

For the therapy to be practical with humans, Arendash said, researchers need to find a way to get results faster. "We need to find a better combination of frequencies and intensities."

Some researchers say the risk of a common type of brain tumor doubles after more than 10 years of cell phone use, though others say the overall risk is negligible

The USF researchers found no signs of tumors during autopsies of their research mice.

Reporter Lindsay Peterson can be reached at (813) 259-7834.

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