Electromagnetic radiation comes from:
- TV sets
- Computers
- Microwave ovens
- Radios
- Cell phones
- Heat
These are a few examples of sources of electromagnetic radiation.
It has been argued that temporal noise emitted from these items may be interfering with the brain development of infants and resulting in mirror neuron defects that may cause autism.
What are Mirror Neurons?
Mirror neurons are cells fired by the brain when we perform various tasks. They also fire when we watch someone else doing a task. Scientists think that they contribute to learning by imitation, development of language and the neural basis of empathy. For instance, if you see someone crying you feel empathy for them because you know that you feel upset when you cry.
This mirror-neuron system was first discovered in primates in the 1990’s and is thought to exist in humans too as this has been evidenced by MRI scanning and EEG, TMS and MEG imaging of the human brain. (1 and 2).
Evidence of the Electromagnetic Effect on the Brain
A study in Turkey found that cell phones were capable of affecting the brain and inducing abnormally slow brain waves in awake persons:
‘Cell phones emitting pulsed high-frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) may affect the human brain. We used a 16-channel telemetric electroencephalograph to record EEG changes during exposure of human skull to EMF emitted by a mobile phone…Traditional EEG was full of noises during operation of a cellular phone. Using a telemetric electroencephalograph in awake subjects, all the noise was eliminated, and EEG showed interesting changes: after a period of 20-40 s, a slow-wave activity (2.5-6.0 Hz) appeared in the contralateral frontal and temporal areas.’
Slow brain waves appeared earlier in the experiment with children. (3).
Children with ASD Showed Mirror-Neuron Defects
A small study at the University of California found that ten boys with high functioning autism had a defective mirror neuron function, according to their electroencephalograph’s (EEG’s). Their neurons only fired when they were doing something, but did not fire in response to someone else doing something.
"The findings provide evidence that individuals with autism have a dysfunctional mirror neuron system, which may contribute to many of their impairments – especially those that involve comprehending and responding appropriately to others' behavior," said Lindsay Oberman, a student at the Center for Brain and Cognition.
Symptoms of autism such as loss of empathy and imitative skills has been directly traced to the mirror neuron circuit of the brain. This could lead researchers to devise new treatments for autism, such as biofeedback or even using mirrors. Since autistics' mirror neurons respond to their own motion, the researchers say, perhaps their brains can be induced to perceive their own reflected movements as the movements of another human being. (4).
Autism and Electromagnetic Interference
Autism has increased dramatically since it was first mentioned in medical literature in 1943 and has risen from one in 10,000 to as many as one in 66. At the same time we have been undergoing an explosion in technologies which means we are exposed to more electromagnetic radiation than we have been at any time in history. Some medical researchers think this may be one of the causes of a skewed mirror neuron system and autism:
‘Recent evidence suggests a link between autism and the human mirror neuron system. I argue that temporal disruption from the environment may play a role in the observed mirror neuron dysfunction, leading in turn to the pattern of deficits associated with autism. I suggest that the developing nervous system of an infant may be particularly prone to temporal noise that can interfere with the initial calibration of brain networks. The most likely source of temporal noise in the environment is artificially generated electromagnetic radiation.' (5).
Sources:
- How Mirror Neurons Allow Us to Learn and Socialize By Going through the Motions in the Head, Science Daily. Web. 4 October 2011.
- Mirror Neurons and Mirror Systems in Monkeys and Humans, Physiology, Vol. 23, No. 3, 171-179, June 2008, Maddalena Fabbri-Destro et al.
- EFFECTS OF HIGH-FREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS ON HUMAN EEG: A BRAIN MAPPING STUDY, International Journal of Neuroscience, 2003, Vol. 113, No. 7 , Pages 1007-1019, ALEXANDER V. KRAMARENKO et al.
- Autism Linked to Mirror Neuron Dysfunction, University of California Press Release, 29th March 2005.
- Out of time: a possible link between mirror neurons, autism and electromagnetic radiation, Medical Hypotheses, 2006;67(2):378-82. Epub 2006 Mar 10.
Joanna Karpasea-Jones - I have been a health writer since 1997 when I published my own newsletter, SHOTS. I have written 2 books on childhood health, and write ...
