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Barbic F, Minonzio M, Cairo B, et al. Effects of a cool classroom microclimate on cardiac autonomic control and cognitive performances in undergraduate students. Sci Total Environ. 2021;808:152005doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152005.
Barbic, F., Minonzio, M., Cairo, B., Shiffer, D., Cerina, L., Verzeletti, P., Badilini, F., Vaglio, M., Porta, A., Santambrogio, M., Gatti, R., Rigo, S., Bisoglio, A., & Furlan, R. (2022). Effects of a cool classroom microclimate on cardiac autonomic control and cognitive performances in undergraduate students. The Science of the total environment, 808152005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152005
Barbic, Franca, et al. "Effects of a cool classroom microclimate on cardiac autonomic control and cognitive performances in undergraduate students." The Science of the total environment vol. 808 (2022): 152005. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152005
Barbic F, Minonzio M, Cairo B, Shiffer D, Cerina L, Verzeletti P, Badilini F, Vaglio M, Porta A, Santambrogio M, Gatti R, Rigo S, Bisoglio A, Furlan R. Effects of a cool classroom microclimate on cardiac autonomic control and cognitive performances in undergraduate students. Sci Total Environ. 2022 Feb 20;808:152005. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152005. Epub 2021 Dec 03. PMID: 34871696.
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Sci Total Environ. 2022 Feb 20;808:152005. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152005. Epub 2021 Dec 03.

Effects of a cool classroom microclimate on cardiac autonomic control and cognitive performances in undergraduate students.

The Science of the total environment

Franca Barbic, Maura Minonzio, Beatrice Cairo, Dana Shiffer, Luca Cerina, Paolo Verzeletti, Fabio Badilini, Martino Vaglio, Alberto Porta, Marco Santambrogio, Roberto Gatti, Stefano Rigo, Andrea Bisoglio, Raffaello Furlan

Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy; IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Internal Medicine, Rozzano, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
  2. IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Internal Medicine, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.
  3. Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
  4. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy; IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Internal Medicine, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.
  5. Resmed Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
  6. Cardio Calm srl, Montichiari, Brescia, Italy.
  7. AMPS-LLC, New York, NY, USA.
  8. Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Cardiothoracic, Vascular Anesthesia and Intensive Care, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Milan, Italy.
  9. Dipartimento di Informazione, Elettronica e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy.
  10. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy.

PMID: 34871696 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152005

Abstract

An inverted U-shape relationship between cognitive performance and indoor temperature with best performance peaking at 21.6 °C was previously described. Little is known on classroom temperature reduction effects on cognitive performances and cardiac autonomic profile, during the cold season. Fifteen students underwent electrocardiogram recording during a lecture in two days in December when classroom temperatures were set as neutral (NEUTRAL, 20-22 °C) and cool (COOL, 16-18 °C). Cognitive performance (memory, verbal ability, reasoning, overall cognitive C-score) was assessed by Cambridge Brain Science cognitive evaluation tool. Cardiac autonomic control was evaluated via the analysis of spontaneous fluctuations of heart period, as the temporal distance between two successive R-wave peaks (RR). Spectral analysis provided the power in the high frequency (HF, 0.15-0.40 Hz) and low frequency (LF, 0.04-0.15 Hz) bands of RR variability. Sympatho-vagal interaction was assessed by LF to HF ratio (LF/HF). Symbolic analysis provided the fraction of RR patterns composed by three heart periods with no variation (0 V%) and two variations (2 V%), taken as markers of cardiac sympathetic and vagal modulations, respectively. The students' thermal comfort was assessed during NEUTRAL and COOL trials. Classroom temperatures were 21.5 ± 0.8 °C and 18.4 ± 0.4 °C during NEUTRAL and COOL. Memory, verbal ability, C-Score were greater during COOL (13.01 ± 3.43, 12.32 ± 2.58, 14.29 ± 2.90) compared to NEUTRAL (9.98 ± 2.26, p = 0.002; 8.57 ± 1.07, p = 0.001 and 10.35 ± 3.20, p = 0.001). LF/HF (2.4 ± 1.7) and 0 V% (23.2 ± 11.1%) were lower during COOL compared to NEUTRAL (3.7 ± 2.8, p = 0.042; 28.1 ± 12.2.1%, p = 0.031). During COOL, 2 V% was greater (30.5 ± 10.9%) compared to NEUTRAL (26.2 ± 11.3, p = 0.047). The students' thermal comfort was slightly reduced during COOL compared to NEUTRAL trial. During cold season, a better cognitive performance was obtained in a cooler indoor setting enabling therefore energy saving too.

Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Cardiac autonomic control; Cognitive performance; Heart rate variability spectral analysis; Heart rate variability symbolic analysis; Indoor environment microclimate

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this pa

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