Constant traffic noise leads to memory and concentration problems in young people. The reason for this, according to a study by Swiss researchers, is probably a worse night’s sleep.
According to a statement from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) on Thursday, young people whose bedrooms face the traffic are particularly affected. The results were recently published in the journal “Environmental Research”.
882 adolescents observed during one year
To investigate the effects of permanent traffic noise, scientists at the Tropical and Public Health Institute in Basel observed 882 young people between the ages of ten and seventeen for a year.
The young people were exposed to different levels of stress from road traffic at home. At the beginning and end of this period, they assessed the subjects’ cognitive abilities using questionnaires and tests.
the ability to concentrate decreases
An increase of ten decibels in the average street noise, or a doubling of the noise, reduced the so-called figurative memory by 0.27 points. This is the brain area that processes spatial information, for example when reading road maps. At the same time, the ability to concentrate for a long time decreased by 0.13 points.
The decrease in the ability to concentrate therefore corresponds to the observed difference between two school levels. The performance decline of figurative memory over the course of the study corresponds to one third of the difference between two school levels.
However, the researchers acknowledged that the effects found in this study are mild and have yet to be confirmed. However, a previous study in São Paulo (Brazil) with younger children exposed to higher noise levels had already found a strong influence of road traffic on cognitive skills.
Source: Krone
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