Excessive Ultrasound May Harm Embryonic Neurons

--Read More In: Bio-Tech | Family | Mind/Brain | Popular | Signal

No more 'scan-your-noggin' booth at the keggers anymore, boys and girls! It'll rot your brains worse than TV!

Dr. Pasko Rakic and his colleagues from the Neurobiology department of the Yale School of medicine have shown that ultrasound use impedes some brain development in baby mice.

They are therefore recommending that though the distances are greater in humans, ultrasound for human babies/embryos should only be used when absolutely necessary and not for elective or "souvenir" purposes.

The disruption in development, Rakic theorizes, could cause disorders like retardation, schizophrenia and epilepsy, to name a few. Results similar to the mice studies have yet to be shown in humans.

Incidentally, Physical Therapists use a type of ultrasound to reduce scar tissue in skeletal muscle. It is probably a different frequency and amplitude than that used in baby sonagrams, but the idea of ultrasound directly affecting tissues is there, especially since hammies are a bit sturdier than embryonic neurons.

Rakic Yale-Ultrasound   Fox-Ultrasound   Ultrasound for Physical Therapy

Posted by Will on 08/10/06 | Comments (0) | Email to a friend |

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