Abstract
This study investigated the effect of cold stimulus using a personal air supply device on cognitive task performance and physiological and subjective responses. Eighteen healthy adult participants performed a cognitive task in a sitting position for 90 min in a private work booth (approximately 26°C). Each participant was subjected to two experimental conditions, with or without an airflow (approximately 22°C) supplied from a personal air supply device, on separate days. The participants were asked to change the airflow direction as they preferred every 5 min. During the experiment, the heart rate and skin temperature were measured. Additionally, thermal sensation and comfort, subjective fatigue, and blood pressure were assessed three times during the protocol. The result showed that, in the airflow condition, the mean skin temperature and dorsal hand temperature decreased, and the back-dorsal hand skin temperature gradient increased. Moreover, the task performance was higher in the airflow condition than in the no airflow condition. The preferred airflow direction was toward the face, followed by that toward the hands. It was observed that the higher the usage rate of air supply toward the hands was, the more the sympathetic nerves were activated, as indicated by the heart rate variability. These results suggested that a mild cold stimulus induced by airflow could enhance peripheral vasoconstriction and sympathetic nerve activity. Therefore, the use of a personal air supply system in a private work booth is expected to maintain arousal level and improve working performance.
