Scientists at Lawson Health Research Institute in London are hopeful electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can be used to treat debilitating symptoms in neurological disorders, following the completion of a study that demonstrated their altering effect on brain activity and physical responses.
The research comes at a time when much of the global interest regarding EMFs is focused on the possible harmful effects of cell phones and radio towers, power lines, smart meters and medical imaging devices. Overseen by Dr. Alexandre Legros of the Department of Imaging at Lawson Health Research Institute, test subject volunteers were exposed to different levels of EMFs at 60 Hz—the frequency used by the North American electrical grid—using and MRI machine and a “custom, whole-body exposure system.” The volunteers were given a series of cognitive and physical tests both before and after exposure designed to identify potential differences in neurological responses.
According to researchers, exposure to both low and high-level EMF was found to affect brain activity. In one test, volunteers asked to rhythmically tap their thumb and index finger together exhibited increased activity in a portion of the brain involved in touch perception following exposure to an EMF at a level 30,000 times higher than normal that suggested a heightened sensitivity to touch.
Researchers also identified an adverse effect of EMFs on memory performance. Under normal circumstances, the repetition of a memory task often leads to performance improvement. However, following exposure to an EMF, volunteers asked to memorize a mist of numbers every 30 minutes showed no substantial improvement.
“At these high exposure levels, the magnetic field may interfere with the timing of synaptic communication, i.e. the timing of the information transmission between neurons,” Dr. Legros said of the EMFs’ affect on memory performance. “This may affect what we call synaptic plasticity, a basic support mechanism for learning.”
While the primary objective of the study was to provide electricity producers and international regulatory bodies with “more accurate and evidence-based guidelines” for EMF exposure, Legros believes that the study reveals the potential for EMFs to be used as a possible non-invasive therapy method for people suffering from Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders.
“We are seeing effects, and if we increase the level of exposure and adapt the signals, we can try to induce predictable effects,” he said. “Eventually, there could be a non-invasive device that delivers specifically-designed EMFs to modify brain activity, with the potential to calm neurological symptoms and improve quality of life.”
Further research into power-line frequency EMF exposure is currently in progress.
