Abstract

Overview

The study aimed to explore the impacts of chronic exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation (RF-EMR) on adolescent albino Wistar rats, focusing on amygdala morphology and emotional behaviors.

Methodology

• Subjects: Four weeks old male albino Wistar rats.
• Exposure: 900 MHz RF-EMR (power density: 146.60 μW/cm2) from a mobile phone in silent-mode for 28 days.
• Techniques Used: Cresyl violet, TUNEL, and Golgi-Cox staining for anatomical study; light/dark chamber test for behavioral analysis.

Findings

Chronic RF-EMR exposure led to the following changes:

• Reduction in healthy neurons in both the basolateral and cortical amygdalae.
• Induced apoptosis specific to the amygdala.
• Alteration in dendritic arborization in the basolateral amygdala.
• Notable behavioral changes included altered place preference and hyperactivity-like symptoms, although brain caspase-3 activity remained unaffected.

Conclusion

The study concludes that RF-EMR exposure disrupts normal cellular architecture in the amygdala and is associated with significant behavioral changes in exposed adolescent rats. It underscores potential implications on emotional and cognitive health originating from chronic RF-EMR exposure.