Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry  2007;18(2):145-153

Chronic Aircraft Noise Exposure and Sustained Attention, Continuous Performance and Cognition in Children.

Myung Ho LIM 1 ; Young Hyun PARK ; Woo Chul LEE ; Ki Chung PAIK ; Hyun Woo KIM ; Hyun Joo KIM ; Sang Chul RHO ; Hae Young KIM ; Ho Jang KWON

Affiliations

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Keywords

Chronic Aircraft Noise; Continuous Performance; Cognitive Function; Reading; Vocabulary; Children

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study was focused on the influence of chronic aircraft noise exposure on children's continuous performance, intelligence and reading skill. METHODS: We enrolled 586 children in 4-6th grade of 7 primary schools near air base in Korea. Continuous performance was measured using the computerized ADS program. We analyzed 477-512 children on the visual continuous performance test, auditory continuous performance test, intelligence test, and reading and the vocabulary test. Intelligence was measured using vocabulary, digit span, block design, and digit symbol tests of K-WISC-III. RESULTS: The commission error and variability deviation of auditory continuous performance test and reading test were significantly higher among children in schools with the helicopter noise and the fighting plane noise compared to children in the low noised schools. CONCLUSION: There was a possibility that chronic aircraft noise exposure was associated with impairment of the school performance. The result of our study also shows chronic aircraft noise was associated with reading ability.