900 MHz RF at ICNIRP limit SARs (0.08 & 0.4 W/kg) altered synaptogenesis, cortical proliferation, and BDNF in rat pups, with DNA damage/proliferation shifts in neural stem cells at 0.08 W/kg. The authors call for caution for pregnant women and young children.
This is the new open-access French study in Neurotoxicology (2025) showing effects at the ICNIRP “regulatory threshold” SARs: 0.08 W/kg (public) and 0.4 W/kg (occupational) during 900 MHz exposures 8 h/day from gestational day 8 to postnatal day 17.
What they found (rodents + NSC cultures):
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At birth (PND0): Proteomics already shifted; e.g., DRP1 ↓ and Plexin A4 ↑—proteins tied to axon guidance/synaptogenesis. (See Table 1 and PCA on p.7.)
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PND8 hippocampus: Fewer total synapses and lower excitatory/inhibitory balance vs. sham at both SARs (Fig. 5, p.9).
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ND8 cortex: Fewer BrdU⁺ proliferating cells at both SARs (Fig. 6b, p.10). By PND17, cortical BDNF ↓ in both exposure groups (Fig. 6a, p.10).
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Oxidative stress (whole brain): No between-group differences in TAC, 8-OHdG, or MDA (Fig. 7, p.10).
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In vitro mouse NSCs @ 0.08 W/kg (GSM-like, 1/8 duty, 216 Hz): ↑ Ki-67 (proliferation), ↑ apoptosis, ↑ γ-H2AX double-strand DNA breaks, plus a shift in differentiation (B1 NSCs ↓; OPCs & astrocytes ↑). Some effects persisted 3 days post-exposure (Figs. 8–10, pp. 11–13).
Authors’ bottom line: Early development in rodents shows vulnerability to RF-EMF at current regulatory limits, and they advise caution for exposures during pregnancy and early childhood. (Conclusion, p.14.)
The French study reports neurodevelopmental effects in rodents at whole-body SARs equal to ICNIRP’s basic restrictions (0.08 W/kg for the general public; 0.4 W/kg for workers) using 900 MHz exposures during gestation and early life. Findings include reduced synaptogenesis, altered excitation/inhibition balance, fewer proliferating cortical cells, lower BDNF, and DNA damage/apoptosis in neural stem cells—all at non-thermal levels. The authors advise caution for exposures in pregnancy and early childhood. PubMedICNIRP
Why pulsed/modulated signals matter (and why “real-life” signals hit harder)
Modern wireless signals are always pulsed/modulated, layering ELF/ULF variability (tens to hundreds of hertz) on RF/MW carriers. Panagopoulos (2025) notes GSM ~217 Hz, DECT ~100–200 Hz, and 3G/4G/5G ~100 Hz “frame repetition” rates, arguing that these low-frequency components drive much of the non-thermal bioactivity. Frontiers
Importantly, studies that use real devices (phones/DECT/Wi-Fi), with their inherent variability, report effects far more often than those using idealized generators: “more than 95%” with real-life signals per Panagopoulos (2025), and “almost 100%” consistency in an earlier methods review (2015). FrontiersPMC
The new evidence at regulatory thresholds
Design: Rats were exposed 8 h/day at 0.08 or 0.4 W/kg (whole-body SAR) from gestation day 8 to postnatal day 17 (900 MHz). Endpoints included proteomics (PND0), synaptogenesis & E/I balance (PND8), BDNF & proliferation (PND8/17), oxidative stress, and in-vitro neural stem cell assays at 0.08 W/kg. PubMed
Key findings:
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Decreased BDNF and fewer BrdU⁺ proliferating cortical cells; reduced excitatory/inhibitory synapse balance in hippocampus. PubMed
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In neural stem cells, ↑Ki-67 (proliferation), ↑apoptosis, ↑γ-H2AX (DNA double-strand breaks), with shifts in differentiation (↓B1 NSCs; ↑OPCs/astrocytes). PubMed
Why this matters: The SARs used match ICNIRP basic restrictions (0.08 W/kg public, 0.4 W/kg occupational), which are set to prevent excess heating. The study shows non-thermal developmental effects at those levels, prompting the authors’ call for caution in pregnancy and early childhood. ICNIRPPubMed
(Microwave News has a concise notice of these results, highlighting the same cautionary conclusion.) Microwave News
Mechanism: Ion Forced-Oscillation (IFO) → VGIC/VGCC dysfunction → ROS/OS
Panagopoulos (2021; 2025) proposes that polarized, coherent fields with ELF/ULF pulsations force mobile ions near the voltage-sensor domains of voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs) to oscillate, exerting reciprocating Lorentz-type forces that can irregularly gate channels (“IFO-VGIC” mechanism). Disturbed ionic homeostasis, especially Ca²⁺, can drive ROS overproduction via mitochondrial ETC and NOX/NOS pathways, leading to oxidative stress and DNA damage—all without significant heating. Spandidos PublicationsFrontiers
Complementing this, Pall (2013) collates evidence that VGCCs are direct targets in many EMF bioeffects, with channel blockers mitigating responses—consistent with a Ca²⁺-mediated cascade downstream of channel dysregulation. PMC
Translating the endpoints: what “fewer hippocampal synapses” likely means
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Synaptogenesis & E/I balance: The hippocampus underpins learning and memory; synapse number/quality and the balance of excitatory/inhibitory signaling are central to plasticity and circuit maturation. Disrupting E/I balance during critical periods is implicated across neurodevelopmental conditions (ASD/ADHD), with multiple reviews highlighting E/I shifts as a convergent mechanism. ScienceDirectPMC+1
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BDNF down-regulation: BDNF is a master regulator of synaptic plasticity and circuit refinement; reductions are plausibly linked to weaker long-term potentiation, poorer learning, and resilience deficits. MDPI
Bottom line: The pattern—fewer synapses, altered E/I, lower BDNF, DNA damage/apoptosis in NSCs—maps onto mechanisms known to shape cognition and behavior during early development. In rodents, such changes often forecast learning/memory impairments and attention-related phenotypes later in life. PMC
Prior animal evidence consistent with attention/memory impacts
Yale’s 2012 mouse model exposed fetuses to cell-phone RF and reported ADHD-like hyperactivity and impaired memory in offspring—aligning with E/I and synaptic-plasticity pathways noted above. PMC
Real-world implications & caveats
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Regulatory framing: ICNIRP’s 0.08/0.4 W/kg whole-body limits are thermal-safety thresholds; they were not derived to exclude all non-thermal developmental endpoints. The new data suggest vulnerability during development even when exposures respect those limits. ICNIRP
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Signal realism: Since real devices deliver pulsed, variable signals, effect detection increases in experiments that model real-life exposure, consistent with Panagopoulos’s >95% observation. Frontiers
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Translation: Rodent data don’t equal human outcomes; still, converging animal mechanistic signals plus human-focused E/I literature justify precaution during pregnancy/early childhood while more definitive human studies accumulate. PMC
What this says about the “continuity of intelligence” hypothesis
If developmental fidelity of neural circuits is degraded by pervasive, pulsed RF/ELF fields, the population distribution of attention, learning efficiency, and higher cognition could shift subtly over generations. That hypothesis is provocative and not proven, but the mechanistic and developmental signal from controlled animal studies—especially at regulatory SARs—makes it a serious scientific question, not a mere narrative. PubMedFrontiers
References (key open sources)
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Bodin et al., Neurotoxicology (2025): developmental effects at 0.08/0.4 W/kg; BDNF, synapses, E/I, NSC DNA damage/apoptosis. PubMed
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ICNIRP (2020) RF guidelines: 0.08 W/kg (public), 0.4 W/kg (workers) whole-body SAR. ICNIRP
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Panagopoulos, Frontiers in Public Health (2025): pulsing/frame rates (GSM 217 Hz; DECT 100–200 Hz; 3G/4G/5G ~ 100 Hz); >95% effects with real-life signals; IFO-VGIC→ROS. Frontiers
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Panagopoulos et al., Int. J. Oncol. (2021): ion forced-oscillation mechanism; VGIC dysfunction → ROS/DNA damage. Spandidos Publications
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Pall, J. Cell. Mol. Med. (2013): VGCCs as targets; Ca²⁺-driven pathways in non-thermal effects. PMC
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Yale mouse study (Aldad/Taylor), PNAS (2012): prenatal RF → hyperactivity & memory deficits. PMC
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Microwave News (2025) brief on the French study. Microwave News