The Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy has just published a special issue with fifteen papers describing groundbreaking research by Turkish researchers on the effects of radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) on the developing and adult nervous system. These studies, along with several review articles, investigate how RF-EMR may have negative effects on neurodevelopment, may increase exposure of the brain to toxic compounds by altering permeability of the blood-brain barrier, may induce oxidative stress on the central and peripheral nervous system.

Controversies on Electromagnetic Fields in Neurobiology of Organisms
Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy

Special issue edited by Suleyman Kaplan and Devra Davis
Volume 75, Part B, Pages 41-140 (September 2016)

Süleyman Kaplan, Devra Davis. Editorial. Pages 41-42

• This special issue seeks to make a contribution to current literature about EMF by reviewing some of the basic underlying experimental science in the field relating to assessing impacts of electromagnetic fields on the structure and function of the developing nervous system. We present five reviews, followed by five research papers on the effects of the EMF on the nervous system. Read the full editorial here.

Martin L. Pall. Microwave frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) produce widespread neuropsychiatric effects including depression. Review Article. Pages 43-51.

• Microwave EMFs activate voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs) concentrated in the brain.
• Animal studies show such low level MWV EMFs have diverse high impacts in the brain.
• VGCC activity causes widespread neuropsychiatric effects in humans (genetic studies).
• 26 studies have EMFs assoc. with neuropsychiatric effects; 5 criteria show causality.
• MWV EMFs cause at least 13 neuropsychiatric effects including depression in humans.

Suleyman Kaplan, Omur Gulsum Deniz, Mehmet Emin Önger, Aysın Pınar Türkmen, Kıymet Kübra Yurt, Işınsu Aydın, Berrin Zuhal Altunkaynak, Devra Davis. Electromagnetic field and brain development. Review Article. Pages 52-61.

• Side effects of electromagnetic field.
• How electromagnetic field affects the brain development?
• Experimental and clinical studies about the electromagnetic field.

Berrin Zuhal Altunkaynak, Gamze Altun, Ahmed Yahyazadeh, Arife Ahsen Kaplan, Omur Gulsum Deniz, Aysın Pinar Türkmen, Mehmet Emin Önger, Suleyman Kaplan. Different methods for evaluating the effects of microwave radiation exposure on the nervous system. Review Article. Pages 62-69.

• Overview to different frequencies of electromagnetic field radiation exposure.
• Possible side effects of microwave radiation on the central nervous system.
• Qualitative and quantitative analysis to reveal the effects of the electromagnetic field exposure.

Ferhat Say, Berrin Zuhal Altunkaynak, Sina Coşkun, Ömür Gülsüm Deniz, Çağrı Yıldız, Gamze Altun, Arife Ahsen Kaplan, Sefa Ersan Kaya, Ahmet Pişkin. Controversies related to electromagnetic field exposure on peripheral nerves. Review Article. Pages 70-76.

• •Possible effects of electromagnetic field.
• •How electromagnetic field affects the peripheral nerve structure?
• •Experimental and clinical studies of nervous system on the electromagnetic field.

Murat Terzi, Berra Ozberk, Omur Gulsum Deniz, Suleyman Kaplan. The role of electromagnetic fields in neurological disorders. Review Article. Pages 77-84.

• •Description of electromagnetic fields and evaluation of its possible effects on biological systems.
• •The association between the electromagnetic field and neurodegenerative diseases.
• •Experimental and clinical studies on the electromagnetic field.

Suleyman Dasdag, Mehmet Zulkuf Akdag. The link between radiofrequencies emitted from wireless technologies and oxidative stress. Review Article. Pages 85-93.

• The results of the studies we reviewed here indicated that mobile phones and similar equipment or radars can be thought as a factor, which cause oxidative stress. Even some of them claimed that oxidative stress originated from radiofrequencies can be resulted with DNA damage. For this reason one of the points to think on is relation between mobile phones and oxidative stress. However, more performance is necessary especially on human exposure studies.

Duygu Sahin, Elcin Ozgur, Goknur Guler, Arın Tomruk, Ilhan Unlu, Aylin Sepici-Dinçel, Nesrin Seyhan. The 2100 MHz radiofrequency radiation of a 3G-mobile phone and the DNA oxidative damage in brain. Pages 94-98.

• The 2100 MHz radiofrequency radiation and oxidative DNA damage in brain.
• The effects of duration and tissue type to DNA damage.

İkinci, Tolga Mercantepe, Deniz Unal, Hüseyin Serkan Erol, Arzu Şahin, Ali Aslan, Orhan Baş, Havva Erdem, Osman Fikret Sönmez, Haydar Kaya, Ersan Odacı. Morphological and antioxidant impairments in the spinal cord of male offspring rats following exposure to a continuous 900 MHz electromagnetic field during early and mid-adolescence. Pages 99-104.

• Spinal cords of male rats were investigated following exposure to 900 MHz EMF.
• Tissue malondialdehyde and glutathione levels increased in the EMF group.
• Light microscopy revealed atrophy in the spinal cord in the EMF group.
• TEM revealed invagination into the axon in the EMF group.
• TEM revealed loss of myelin sheath integrity in the EMF group.

Ersan Odacı, Hatice Hancı, Ayşe İkinci, Osman Fikret Sönmez, Ali Aslan, Arzu Şahin, Haydar Kaya, Serdar Çolakoğlu, Orhan Baş. Maternal exposure to a continuous 900-MHz electromagnetic field provokes neuronal loss and pathological changes in cerebellum of 32-day-old female rat offspring Pages 105-110.

• The female rat pup cerebellum was investigated following prenatal 900 MHz EMF exposure.
• Total Purkinje cell numbers were estimated following prenatal 900 MHz EMF exposure.
• Purkinje cell numbers were lower in the EMF group compared to the control and sham groups.
• Pyknotic neurons with dark cytoplasm were observed in the EMF group.

Arda Esmekaya, Mehmet Zahid Tuysuz, Arın Tomruk, Ayse G. Canseven, Engin Yücel, Zuhal Aktuna, Semih Keskil, Nesrin Seyhan. Effects of cell phone radiation on lipid peroxidation, glutathione and nitric oxide levels in mouse brain during epileptic seizure. Pages 111-115.

• Overall, the experimental findings demonstrated that cellular phone radiation may increase the oxidative damage and NOx level during epileptic activity in mouse brain.

Mehmet Zulkuf Akdag, Suleyman Dasdag, Fazile Canturk, Derya Karabulut, Yusuf Caner, Nur Adalier. Does prolonged radiofrequency radiation emitted from Wi-Fi devices induce DNA damage in various tissues of rats? Pages 116-122.

• In conclusion, long-term exposure to 2.4 GHz RF radiation (Wi-Fi) does not cause DNA damage of the organs investigated in this study except testes. The results of this study indicated that testes are more sensitive organ to RF radiation.

Bahriye Sırav, Nesrin Seyhan. Effects of GSM modulated radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation on permeability of blood–brain barrier in male & female rats. Pages 123-127.

• Exposure to the pulse modulated radio-frequency radiation could lead to increase in the permeability of blood–brain barrier.
• New researches are needed to discuss the effects of radio-frequency radiation on children.
• Efforts have to be made to understand the mechanisms of the interaction of radio-frequency radiation and the central nervous system.

Göknur Güler, Elcin Ozgur, Hikmet Keles, Arin Tomruk, Sevil Atalay Vural, Nesrin Seyhan. Neurodegenerative changes and apoptosis induced by intrauterine and extrauterine exposure of radiofrequency radiation. Pages 128-133.

• Fetal exposure to mobile phone radiation causes apoptosis and oxidative damage in brain.

Çelik, Mehmet Cemal Kahya, Mustafa Nazıroğlu. Oxidative stress of brain and liver is increased by Wi-Fi (2.45 GHz) exposure of rats during pregnancy and the development of newborns. Pages 134-139.

• Oxidative stress plays important role in biology of Wi-Fi (2.45 GHz)
• 2.45 GHz increased oxidative stress in brain and liver pregnant rats and their newborns
• Brain seems sensitive to oxidative injury in the development of newborns.