The Influence of Noise Exposure at Different Loudness Levels on EEG Index and Types of Attention

Bachground: Noise is one of the most important harmful factors in the environment. There are limited studies on the effect of noise loudness on brain signals and attention. The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between exposure to different loudness levels with brain index, types of attention, and subjective evaluation.

Four noises with different loudness levels were generated. Sixty‑four male students participated in this study. Each subject performed the integrated visual and auditory continuous performance test (IVA-2) test before and during exposure to noise loudness signals while their electroencephalography was recorded. Finally, the alpha‑to‑gamma ratio (AGR), five types of attention, and the subjective evaluation results were examined.

During exposure to loudness levels, the AGR and types of attention decreased while the NASA‑Tax Load Index (NASA‑TLX) scores increased. The noise exposure at lower loudness levels (65 and 75 phon) leads to greater attention dysfunction than at higher loudness. The AGR was significantly changed during exposure to 65 and 75 phon and audio stimuli. This significant change was observed in exposure at all loudness levels except 85 phon and visual stimuli. The divided and sustained attention changed significantly during exposure to all loudness levels and visual stimuli. The AGR had a significant inverse correlation with the total score of NASA‑TLX during noise exposure.

These results can lead to the design of methods to control the psychological effects of noise at specific frequencies (250 and 4000 Hz) and can prevent non‑auditory damage to human cognitive performance in industrial and urban environments.