Study: Cell Phones May Reverse Alzheimer's

Some people worry that exposure to radiation from cell phones may harm the brain or cause cancer.

But a study from the University of South Florida's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center said that work conducted in mice indicates that cell phone signals could boost normal memory and protect against or reverse Alzheimer's disease.

"It surprised us to find that cell phone exposure, begun in early adulthood, protects the memory of mice otherwise destined to develop Alzheimer's symptoms," said lead author Gary Arendash. "It was even more astonishing that the electromagnetic waves generated by cell phones actually reversed memory impairment in old Alzheimer's mice."

A news release on the work said that the electromagnetic waves seemed to clear up deposits of the beta-amyloid protein, which forms a plaque that is a sign of Alzheimer's disease.

The study involved 96 mice, most of which were genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer's disease, as well as some with normal brains.

They lived near an antenna that delivered a dose of radiation similar to what a person would get using a cell phone for seven to nine months.

Mice meant to get Alzheimer's disease that were exposed to the radiation as young adults performed as well on memory and thinking tests as those that were not. And when older mice already exhibiting memory problems were exposed to the electromagnetic waves, their memory impairment disappeared, the researchers said.

Months of cell phone exposure even boosted the memories of normal mice to above-normal levels.

The researchers said that electromagnetic field exposure could be an effective, non-invasive and drug-free way to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease in humans.

They also said they found a slight increase in brain temperature when the antenna was on, but only after months of exposure. That could have helped destroy the plaques, they said.

The study was published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.