Can neurons sense millimeter waves?

The applications and commercial use of millimeter-and submillimeter-wavelength radiation are becoming more and more widespread in our society. As such, there is a growing need to better understand and quantify both the coupling mechanisms and the impact of this long wavelength energy on biological function. Independent of the health impact of high doses of radio frequency (RF) energy on full organisms, there exists the potential for more subtle effects, which can best be quantified in studies which examine real-time changes in cellular function as RF energy is applied. In this paper we present the first real time examination of millimeter-wave induced changes in cellular activity at absorbed power levels well below the existing safe exposure limits of 1mW/cm². Using sensitive patch clamp measurements on pyramidal neurons in cortical slices of neonatal rats, the authors present the first direct evidence of millimeter-wave induced changes in action potential firing rates and membrane porosity. Non-invasive modulation of neuronal activity could prove useful in a variety of health applications from suppression of peripheral neuropathic pain to treatment of central neurological disorders.