ABSTRACT

CONTENTS 4.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 150 4.2 Microwave Effects ............................................................................................................ 153

4.2.1 Detection of Microwaves................................................................................... 153 4.2.2 Microwave Performance Disruption............................................................... 155 4.2.3 Microwave Cognitive Effects: Animal Studies.............................................. 155

4.2.3.1 Microwave Cognitive Performance Disruption in Animals......... 155 4.2.4 Animals: Spatial Memory Replications and Confirmations........................ 156

4.2.4.1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 156 4.2.5 Microwave Spatial Memory Experiments ...................................................... 159 4.2.6 Conclusions: Animals: Spatial Memory Replications

and Confirmations.......................................................................................................... 162 4.2.7 Microwave Cognitive Effects: Human Studies ............................................ 163 4.2.8 Microwave Effects on the Electroencephalogram ........................................ 168 4.2.9 Blood-Brain Barrier Studies ............................................................................ 179 4.2.10 Electrosensitivity in Humans .......................................................................... 185 4.2.11 Future Microwave Mobile Signals and Further Research ........................... 185 4.2.12 Microwave Effects: Overall Conclusion.......................................................... 189

4.3 Extremely Low-Frequency Effects ................................................................................. 190 4.3.1 Detection of Extremely Low-Frequency Electric and Magnetic

Fields ............................................................................................................................... 190 4.3.2 Extremely Low-Frequency Cognitive Effects: Animals ............................... 196 4.3.3 Extremely Low-Frequency Animal Cognitive Studies: Conclusion .......... 197 4.3.4 Extremely Low-Frequency Cognitive Studies: Humans.............................. 197 4.3.5 Extremely Low-Frequency Human Cognitive Studies: Conclusion .......... 198

Acknowledgment....................................................................................................................... 199 References ................................................................................................................................... 199

The human brain is comprised of more than 100 billion individual nerve cells that are functionally interconnected into systems. These systems construct our perceptions and cognitions of the world, and control how we react to the external world (Kandel et al., 2000). This chapter presents an overview of the interaction of nonionizing electromagnetic fields (EMFs) as external stimuli to the nervous systems and the behavior of humans and laboratory animals. This overview of the scientific literature specifically includes the detection of EMFs and effects of EMFs on behavioral performance and cognition. EMF detection by humans and responses of laboratory animals suggests that detection could motivate changes in behaviors. The chapter is divided into two parts, which are distinguished simply by frequency: microwave (MW) radio frequency and extremely low-frequency (ELF). This chapter extends the findings of recent reviews of the animal and human research literature (Hermann and Hossmann, 1997; D’Andrea, 1999; Cook et al., 2002; D’Andrea et al., 2003a,b; Hossmann and Hermann, 2003).