Blood Brain Barrier

Scientific Literature

Dr. Leif Salford and others have demonstrated that exposure to low level microwave radiation from wireless devices can cause the blood brain barrier to open for 2 weeks or more. Researchers have shown in rodent studies that wireless radiation exposure causes microvascular changes in the brain with leakage of albumin from the plasma into the brain resulting in long term neuronal damage.  In a 2015 study by Tang et al. rats were exposed to 900MHz radiation  for 3 hours a day at low power and well below current safety standards. They found after 28 days of exposure that there were structural changes in the hippocampus and cortex, damage to the blood brain barrier, cellular edema and neuronal degeneration.  This supports other studies listed in Nervous System Effects which show damage to neurons in the hippocampus with memory deficits. The hippocampus is a part of the brain that controls working and spatial memory, emotional memory and is involved in a chronic stress response.

Cell Phone Radiation Causes Leakage of the Blood Brain Barrier

Dr. Leif Salford, in this fascinating video, discusses the surprising results of his decades long research on the effects of low level radio frequency radiation exposure on the blood brain barrier in rodents. After short exposures there can be a lasting effect with an ultimately toxic results on critical neural structures.

Published Articles

• Effects of GSM and UMTS mobile telephony signals on neuron degeneration and blood-brain barrier permeation in the rat brain. (2017) de Gannes FP et al. Scientific Reports. 7, Article number: 15496 (2017). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-15690-1
• Exposure to 900 MHz electromagnetic fields activates the mkp-1/ERK pathway and causes blood-brain barrier damage and cognitive impairment in rats.(2015) Tang J et al. Brain Res. 2015 Mar 19;1601:92-101. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25598203
• Altered Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinases and Tight Junction Proteins in Rats Following PEMF-induced BBB Permeability Change. (2012) Zhang YM et al. Biomed Environ Science. 2012 Apr;25(2):197-202. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22998827/
• Nonthermal GSM RF and ELF EMF effects upon rat BBB permeability. (2011) Nittby H et al. (2011) The Environmentalist. 31, pages140–148(2011) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10669-011-9307-z                 https://www.emf-portal.org/en/article/19140
• Effects of radiofrequency radiation exposure on blood-brain barrier permeability in male and female rats.(2011) Sirav B et al. Electromagn Biol Med. 2011 Dec;30(4):253-60. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22047463.  https://www.emf-portal.org/en/article/19853
• Electromagnetic Fields and the Blood-Brain Barrier. (2010) Stam R. Brain Res Rev.
  2010 Oct 5;65(1):80-97. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20550949/
• Effects of 915 MHz Electromagnetic-Field Radiation in TEM Cell on the Blood-Brain Barrier and Neurons in the Rat Brain. (2009) Masuda H et al. Radiat Res. 2009 Jul;172(1):66-73. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19580508/
• Radiofrequency-radiation exposure does not induce detectable leakage of albumin across the blood-brain barrier. (2009) McQuade JM et al. Radiat Res 2009; 171 (5): 615-621. https://www.emf-portal.org/en/article/17061
• Increased blood-brain barrier permeability in mammalian brain 7 days after exposure to the radiation from a GSM-900 mobile phone. (2009) Nittby H et al. 2009 Aug;16(2-3):103-12.                      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19345073.                                     https://www.emf-portal.org/en/article/16986
• Blood-brain barrier disruption by continuous-wave radio frequency radiation. (2009) Sirav B et al.  Electromagn Biol Med 2009; 28 (2): 215-222.      https://www.emf-portal.org/en/article/17230.                           https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19811403/
• Blood-brain barrier permeability and nerve cell damage in rat brain 14 and 28 days after exposure to microwaves from GSM mobile phones. (2008) Eberhardt JL et al. . Electromagn Biol Med. 2008;27(3):215-29. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18821198
• Radiofrequency and extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field effects on the blood-brain barrier. (2008) Nittby H et al. Electromagn Biol Med. 2008;27(2):103-26.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18568929
• Non-thermal effects of EMF upon the mammalian brain: The Lund experience. (2007) Salford L, Nittby H, Brun A et al. The Environmentalist. 27, pages493–500(2007).                                                        https://portal.research.lu.se/portal/en/publications/the-mammalian-brain-in-the-electromagnetic-fields-designed-by-man-with-special-reference-to-bloodbrain-barrier-function-neuronal-damage-and-possible-physical-mechanisms(9b56efc1-5bab-4e6a-9935-0a0c8c14277b).html                                                          https://www.emf-portal.org/en/article/15816
• Effect of Mobile Telephony on Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability in the Fetal Mouse Brain. (2006) Finnie JW et al. Pathology. 2006 Feb;38(1):63-5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16484011/
• Nerve cell damage in mammalian brain after exposure to microwaves from GSM mobile phones. (2003) Salford LG et al. Environ Health Perspect. 2003 Jun;111(7):881-3; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12782486
• Non-thermal activation of the hsp27/p38MAPK stress pathway by mobile phone radiation in human endothelial cells: molecular mechanism for cancer- and blood-brain barrier-related effects. (2002) Leszczynski D. Differentiation. 2002 May;70(2-3):120-9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=12076339
• Effect of Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) Microwave Exposure on Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability in Rat. (1997) Fritz K et al. Act Neuropathol. 1997 Nov;94(5):465-70. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9386779/
• Blood‐brain barrier permeability in rats exposed to electromagnetic fields used in wireless communication. (1997) Persson BR et al. Wireless Networks.  3, pages455–461(1997). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1019150510840
• Permeability of the blood-brain barrier induced by 915 MHz electromagnetic radiation, continuous wave and modulated at 8, 16, 50, and 200 Hz. (1994) Salford LG et al. Microsc Res Tech. 1994 Apr 15;27(6):535-42. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8012056
• Increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier induced by magnetic and electromagnetic fields. (1992) Persson BR et al. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1992 Mar 31;649:356-8. https://www.emf-portal.org/en/article/73
• Neural function and behavior: defining the relationship. (1975) H. Frey, S.R. Feld, and B. Frey.  Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 247:433-439 (1975). https://www.emf-portal.org/en/article/567        https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/46734/ https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1975.tb36019.x

 

Related Published Articles on the Brain

• Structural Plasticity and Hippocampal Function. (2010) Benedetta Leuner and Elizabeth Gould. Annu Rev Psychol. 2010; 61: 111–C3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3012424/
• Chronic Stress-Induced Hippocampal Vulnerability: The Glucocorticoid Vulnerability Hypothesis. (2008) Cheryl D. Conrad. Rev Neurosci. 2008; 19(6): 395–411. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2746750/
• Intestinal Barrier Function: Molecular Regulation and Disease Pathogenesis. (2009) Groschwitz,  and Hogan.  J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009 Jul; 124(1): 3–22. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4266989/
• Skin Barrier Function. (2008) Peter M. Elias Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2008 Jul; 8(4): 299–305. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2843412/