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Behavioral sensitivity of rats to extremely‐low‐frequency magnetic fields
Author(s) -
Smith Robert F.,
Clarke Rex L.,
Justesen Don R.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
bioelectromagnetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.435
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-186X
pISSN - 0197-8462
DOI - 10.1002/bem.2250150505
Subject(s) - extremely low frequency , sensitivity (control systems) , lever , electric field , flux (metallurgy) , electric shock , work (physics) , magnetic field , physics , audiology , acoustics , materials science , medicine , engineering , electronic engineering , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics , metallurgy
Work in our laboratory has revealed autonomic and/or behavioral sensitivity of mice, rats, and a domestic fowl to extremely‐low‐frequency (ELF) or nominally static magnetic (B) fields at flux densities between 250 and 1700 μT (rms). To extend our work, an automated exposure and data‐acquisition system was used with the technique of conditional suppression to assess behavioral sensitivity to time‐varying B fields. Each of five rats was exposed aperiodically to a B field during 3 min warning periods that terminated in a brief electric shock. The difference between rates of lever pressing during B‐field warning periods and rates during immediately antecedent, 3 min control periods was analyzed at frequencies of 7, 16, 30, 60, and 65.1 Hz. To produce equivalent induced voltages in the rat at each frequency, graded flux densities were established that ranged from 1900 μT at 7 Hz to 200 μT at 65.1 Hz. Analysis of differences in lever‐pressing rates revealed that in a given session of testing the rats would increasingly suppress responding when exposed to a B field, but this trend was independent of frequency. This experiment provides evidence of behavioral sensitivity by a mammal to an ELF magnetic field. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.