Combined effects of noise and air temperature on human neurophysiological responses in a simulated indoor environment

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the combined effects of noise and air temperature on the human body neurophysiological responses. This study was conducted on 35 male students, who were exposed to four different air temperatures (18 °C, 22 °C, 26 °C, and 30 °C) and two noise levels (55 dBA and 75 dBA) in eight sessions in a simulated indoor environment. The mean values of accuracy and time of response to stimuli in N-back test as well as neurophysiological responses were measured. In the studied experiment configurations, with increasing air temperature and noise, the working memory and neurophysiological responses were disturbed. The results indicated the significant effect of noise on working memory, as compared with that of air temperature. The effects of air temperature on heart rate, respiratory rate as well as theta and alpha bands were more significant than the impact of noise. The combined effects of noise and air temperature were more significant than the influence of each of them alone. In the presence of high noise levels, the increase in air temperature did not worsen the response accuracy. However, in the presence of high noise level, the rise in air temperature aggravated the mean value of neurophysiological responses. Overall, noise has a greater effect on working memory, while the air temperature can disturb neurophysiological responses in a more profound way. © 2020 Elsevier Lt