Non-thermal microwave effect on nerve fiber function

Pakhomov AG,

Biofizika 38(2):367-371, 1993

[Article in Russian]

Effects of microwave radiation (915 MHz, PW, peak SAR 20-30 W/g, pulse duration 1 mcs, 50.000 and 25.000 p.p.s.) were investigated in isolated frog nerve cord preparation. Nerve VHF heating didn't exceed 2.2 degrees C due to intense Ringer's solution perfusion.

It was established that nerve irradiation simultaneously with its stimulation lead to significant decrease of action potential amplitude and peak latency.

Since the equal conventional heating of the nerve caused the opposite changes (amplitude increase), the results obtained argue for non-thermal mechanism of microwave action.