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Fundamental and Applied Aspects of Nonionizing Radiation pp 167–211Cite as

Electrophysiological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields on Animals

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Abstract

In vivo and in vitro studies of nervous tissues exposed to microwave radiation are reported. It is shown that the conduction and transmission latencies and amplitudes of evoked potentials in both the CNS of anesthetized cats, isolated nerves of cats, and ganglia of rabbits are affected by CW microwaves in a manner very similar to that of localized conduction heat. Temperature rises are always associated with any observable changes of the measured characteristics in the nervous tissues exposed to CW irradiation. The threshold of occurrence of latency changes falls between 2.5 – 5.0 W/kg of absorbed power density in the affected tissues which is about one-quarter to one-half of the normal metabolic rate of brain tissue. This absorbed power corresponds to 5 –10 mW/cm2 and 10 – 25 mW/cm2 incident upon a cat head and a human head, respectively. Pulsed microwaves of high peak intensity and low average power induce a hearing phenomenon in man. Electrophysiological studies on cats indicate that pulsed microwaves interact with mammalian auditory systems in a manner similar to that of conventional acoustic perception. A possible mechanism of microwave interaction is the acoustic energy release from rapid thermal expansion due to power absorption in the gross structure of the head.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bioelectromagnetics Research Laboratory Department of Rehabilitation Medicine RJ-30, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA

    Arthur W. Guy, James C. Lin & C. K. Chou

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  1. Arthur W. Guy
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  2. James C. Lin
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  3. C. K. Chou
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Rochester, USA

    Solomon M. Michaelson , Morton W. Miller , Richard Magin  & Edwin L. Carstensen , ,  & 

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© 1975 Plenum Press, New York

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Guy, A.W., Lin, J.C., Chou, C.K. (1975). Electrophysiological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields on Animals. In: Michaelson, S.M., Miller, M.W., Magin, R., Carstensen, E.L. (eds) Fundamental and Applied Aspects of Nonionizing Radiation. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-0760-0_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-0760-0_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-0762-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-0760-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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