Examining the effects of extremely low-frequency magnetic fields on cognitive functions and functional brain markers in aged mice.
Sci Rep. 2025-03-11; 15(1):
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-93230-y
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Hadzibegovic S(#)(1), Nicole O(#)(2), Andelkovic V(3), de Gannes FP(3), Hurtier
A(3), Lagroye I(3), Bontempi B(4).
Author information:
(1)Neurocentre Magendie, INSERM U1215, Université de Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux,
France. .
(2)Institut Interdisciplinaire de Neurosciences, CNRS UMR 5297, Université de
Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France.
(3)Laboratoire de l’Intégration du Matériau au Système, CNRS UMR 5218,
Université de Bordeaux, 33405, Talence, France and Ecole Pratique des Hautes
Etudes-PSL, 75014, Paris, France.
(4)Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d’Aquitaine, CNRS UMR
5287, Université de Bordeaux and Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, 33000,
Bordeaux, France. .
(#)Contributed equally
Extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) are ubiquitously present in
various environments of everyday life. While surveys from the World Health
Organization (WHO) have not demonstrated the existence of ELF-MF-induced harmful
consequences in healthy subjects, whether older adults are more vulnerable to
the effects of residential and occupational ELF-MF exposure, and therefore may
be at risk, remains unsettled. Here, we explored this potential health issue by
investigating, in aged mice, the effects of chronic exposure to ELF-MFs (50 Hz
ELF-MF at 1 mT for 8 h/day, 5 days/week for 12 consecutive weeks) on cognitive
functions and expression profile of brain markers typically associated with
aggravated aging or the development of Alzheimer`s disease (AD). Sham-exposed
mice showed a significant age-related decline in spatial memory functions
compared to young adult mice. However, this expected pattern was neither
exacerbated nor counteracted by chronic exposure to ELF-MFs. No difference in
hippocampal expression of APP-695, Aβ(1-42), S100b and GFAP proteins or in the
pTau/Tau ratio was observed between sham- and ELF-MF-exposed aged mice,
suggesting that chronic exposure to ELF-MFs does not aggravate aging and
associated neuroinflammation, or promote pathological pathways involved in the
initiation of AD. Because care should be taken in extrapolating these results to
older adults with various comorbidities, applying current exposure limits to
existing or new sensitive ELF-MF locations is recommended.
© 2025. The Author(s).
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-93230-y
PMCID: PMC11897315
PMID: 40069380 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
Conflict of interest statement: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors
declare no competing interests. Ethical approval: This study has no human data.
Experiments were conducted according to protocols approved by the ethical
committee of the University of Bordeaux (protocol A50120159). All experimental
procedures complied with official European guidelines for the care and use of
laboratory animals (Directive 2010/63/UE) and followed the ARRIVE guidelines for
animal research.