Slow potentials and spike unit activity of the cerebral cortex of rabbits exposed to microwaves

Unanesthetized rabbits exposed to 12.5-cm microwaves at a field intensity of 40 mW/cm2 in the region of the head showed an increase in the number of slow waves and spindle-shaped firings in the EEG and a change in the discharge frequency of neurons in the visual cortex in 41-52% of the cases. An enhancement of the evoked response of visual cortex neurons to light was observed in 61% of the cases and a facilitation of the driving response in 80% of all cases. It is concluded that the evoked response is a more sensitive indicator of the microwave effect than background activity. The effects of the fields were most distinctly observed with the driving response.