The role of magnetic fields in neurodegenerative diseases.


Author: Riancho J1,2,3, Sanchez de la Torre JR4, Paz-Fajardo L5, Limia C5, Santurtun A6, Cifra M7, Kourtidis K8,9, Fdez-Arroyabe P10

Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>Service of Neurology, Hospital Sierrallana-IDIVAL, Barrio Ganzo s/n, 39300, Torrelavega, Spain. javier.riancho86@gmail.com.

<sup>2</sup>CIBERNED, Barcelona, Spain. javier.riancho86@gmail.com.

<sup>3</sup>Medicine and Psychiatry Department, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain. javier.riancho86@gmail.com.

<sup>4</sup>Service of Neurology, Hospital Sierrallana-IDIVAL, Barrio Ganzo s/n, 39300, Torrelavega, Spain.

<sup>5</sup>Service of Internal Medicine, Hospital Sierrallana, Torrelavega, Spain.

<sup>6</sup>Legal Medicine and Toxicology Unit, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.

<sup>7</sup>Institute of Photonics and Electronics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Chaberská 1014/57, 182 51, Prague, Czech Republic.

<sup>8</sup>Department of Environmental Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100, Xanthi, Greece.

<sup>9</sup>Environmental and Networking Technologies and Applications Unit (ENTA), Athena Research and Innovation Center, 67100, Xanthi, Greece.

<sup>10</sup>Geography and Planning Department, Geobiomet Research Group, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
Conference/Journal: Int J Biometeorol.
Date published: 2020 Mar 20
Other:
  Special Notes: doi: 10.1007/s00484-020-01896-y. [Epub ahead of print]   ,  Word Count: 163  
    The term neurodegenerative diseases include a long list of diseases affecting the nervous system that are characterized by the degeneration of different neurological structures. Among them, Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are the most representative ones. The vast majority of cases are sporadic and results from the interaction of genes and environmental factors in genetically predisposed individuals. Among environmental conditions, electromagnetic field exposure has begun to be assessed as a potential risk factor for neurodegeneration. In this review, we discuss the existing literature regarding electromagnetic fields and neurodegenerative diseases. Epidemiological studies in AD, PD, and ALS have shown discordant results; thus, a clear correlation between electromagnetic exposure and neurodegeneration has not been demonstrated. In addition, we discuss the role of electromagnetic radiation as a potential non-invasive therapeutic strategy for some neurodegenerative diseases, particularly for PD and AD.



KEYWORDS: Alzheimer’s disease; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Electromagnetic fields; Neurodegenerative diseases; Parkinson’s disease



PMID: 32198562  DOI: 10.1007/s00484-020-01896-y