Effects of Radiofrequency/Microwave Electromagnetic Radiation on Anxiety and Depression: Literature Review Related to Studies Based on Experimental Animal Models

Abstract

Anxiety and/or depression are the most common emotional behavior disorders in the world. This review aimed to investigate the effects of radiofrequency/microwave-electromagnetic radiation (RF/MW-EMR) on anxiety and depression disorders in the experimental animal models. In the review, a total of 31 studies published between 2005-2019 were examined and frequency range, specific absorption rate, power density or electric field, setup, time and region of radiation exposure, animal model and age, measured experimental parameters and results related to these studies were evaluated. Regarding the effects of RF/MW-EMR exposure on anxiety and/or depression in the literature, the EMR effects were found positive in 19 studies on anxiety and one study on depression and negative in five studies on anxiety and one study on depression, while no significant effect of EMR exposure was observed in nine studies on anxiety and three studies on depression. Additionally, in eight studies, various results were found depending on experimental animal model characteristics, radiation exposure conditions, behavior tests, and neurodevelopmental processes. Consequently, the current findings show that RF/MW-EMR exposure may affect the occurrence of anxiety and/or depression disorders so suggest that further research based on neural and molecular mechanisms may be useful in the light of available data in the literatüre.

Keywords

• Radiofrequency/microwave-electromagnetic radiation
• anxiety
• depression
• experimental animal models

Radyofrekans/Mikrodalga Elektromanyetik Radyasyonun Anksiyete ve Depresyon Üzerine Etkileri: Deneysel Hayvan Modellerine Dayalı Çalışmalara Ait Literatür Taraması

Abstract

Günümüzde anksiyete ve/veya depresyon dünyada en yaygın gözlenen duygusal (emosyonel) davranış bozukluklarıdır. Bu derlemede, radyofrekans/mikrodalga-elektromanyetik radyasyonun (RF/MW-EMR) deneysel hayvan modellerinde anksiyete ve depresyon bozuklukları üzerindeki etkilerinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Derlemede, 2005-2019 yılları arasında yayınlanmış toplam 31 çalışma incelenmiş olup, bu çalışmalara ait uygulanan frekans aralığı, spesifik absorbsiyon oranı, güç yoğunluğu veya elektrik alan, radyasyon maruziyet kurulumu, maruziyet süresi ve bölgesi, hayvan modeli ve yaşı, ölçülen deneysel parametreler ile çalışmaların sonuçları değerlendirilmiştir. Değerlendirilen literatür verilerindeki anksiyete ve/veya depresyon üzerine RF/MW-EMR maruziyetinin etkileri incelendiğinde, EMR’nun 19 anksiyete çalışması ile bir depresyon çalışmasında pozitif etkileri, beş anksiyete çalışması ile bir depresyon çalışmasında negatif etkileri belirlenirken, dokuz anksiyete çalışması ile üç depresyon çalışmasında EMR maruziyetinin anlamlı derecede bir etkisi gözlenmemiştir. Ayrıca değerlendirilen bu çalışmaların sekizinde, deneysel hayvan modeli özellikleri, radyasyon maruziyet koşulları, davranış testleri ve nörogelişimsel süreçlere bağlı olarak değişken sonuçlar saptanmıştır. Sonuç olarak derlemede, RF/MW-EMR maruziyetinin anksiyete ve/veya depresyon bozukluklarının oluşumunu etkileyebileceği gözlenmiş olup, literatürdeki mevcut veriler ışığında, nöral ve moleküler mekanizmalara dayalı ileri araştırmaların yararlı olabileceği düşünülmektedir.

Keywords

• Radyofrekans/mikrodalga-elektromanyetik radyasyon
• anksiyete
• depresyon
• deneysel hayvan modelleri

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