Environmental Noise Alters Neural Regulation Without Behavioral Impairment: A Pilot EEG Study

Morina, Egzona · 2025 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1101/2025.11.04.685163

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Summary

This pilot study investigates whether natural soundscapes can buffer the neural strain induced by environmental noise, addressing a gap in understanding how auditory contexts shape real-time brain regulation. While chronic noise exposure is linked to cognitive impairment and stress, and natural environments are associated with restoration, few studies have combined controlled auditory manipulations with real-time electroencephalography (EEG) to characterize these neural dynamics. The authors hypothesized that noise would elicit signatures of cognitive strain, whereas nature sounds would promote efficient, low-effort neural organization. Twelve healthy adults completed a within-subjects experiment involving three auditory conditions: urban traffic noise, ambient natural sounds, and silence (control). Participants performed a battery of five cognitive tasks assessing attention, inhibition, and working memory while 32-channel EEG recorded ongoing brain activity. The study utilized spectral analysis, ratio-based indices (e.g., theta/alpha, engagement index), and nonlinear features to evaluate cortical efficiency and cognitive load. Statistical analyses employed linear mixed-effects models with false discovery rate correction to identify significant condition effects across nine cortical regions. Behavioral performance remained high across all conditions, with accuracy ranging from 89.9% to 99.5%, indicating no overt behavioral impairment. The only significant behavioral difference was improved N-back performance under the Nature condition compared to Noise and Control. In contrast, EEG data revealed robust environment-dependent modulation. Noise exposure amplified delta and theta activity, particularly in parieto-occipital regions, and increased theta/alpha ratios, indicating higher cognitive load and compensatory effort. Conversely, Nature exposure increased baseline-corrected delta, beta, and gamma power, elevated alpha/beta ratios, and enhanced the Engagement Index in posterior networks. These patterns signify a relaxed yet alert cortical state. Reliability analyses confirmed moderate stability of these EEG measures. The findings demonstrate that while behavioral performance may remain preserved under noise, the underlying neural regulation becomes energetically costly. Natural soundscapes, however, promote efficient neural organization characterized by balanced oscillatory dynamics. These results establish specific electrophysiological markers for environmental stress and restoration, supporting the integration of biophilic design strategies in workplaces to mitigate cognitive fatigue and enhance sustainable mental performance.

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• neuro workload indices

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• Empirical Findings: physiological data