Prenatal exposure to an ELF‐rotating magnetic field and subsequent increase in conditioned suppression

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Abstract
Male rats were exposed prenatally to a .5 Hz, .5–3 to 10–30 gauss rotating magnetic field (RMF), comparable in frequency (but of slightly higher magnitude) to extreme low frequency magnetic fields associated with some geomagnetic and meteorological disturbances. In three replications, RMF‐exposed rats showed significantly greater suppression in response rate (relative to controls) during the 4‐min conditioned stimulus (CS) preceding a .5 mA, .5 sec shock in a conditioned suppression procedure. The RMF‐exposed animals showed the greatest suppression, relative to controls, during the first few shock exposures. Subsequent CS‐shock pairings were followed by similar suppression in both groups. RMF‐exposed rats also showed more initial suppression during the first presentation of the CS without shock. These findings are consistent with previous open field and Sidman avoidance data that suggest that the RMF‐exposed animals are more reactive to novel and aversive stimuli, and underline the importance of understanding the effects of everyday geophysical‐meteorological variables upon development and consequent behavioral changes.