Effect of negative ion atmospheric loading on cognitive performance in human volunteers

Negative ion atmospheric loading has been reported to affect a range of psychological functions, from alertness to circadian rhythms, and has been suggested to benefit a variety of medical conditions, from allergies to migraine. In a double-blind study planned to assess the effect of negative ions on cognitive performance in human volunteers, 65 female graduate course students were randomized into ionized atmosphere (n = 34) and control (n = 31) groups. The following cognitive tasks were administered: Digit Symbol Substitution Test, Addition Test, Visual Memory (Complex Figure) Test, Verbal Memeory (Complex Passage) Test, Ideational Fluency Test and Clerical Speed and Accuracy test. On all but the last two tests, the negative ion groupperfonned significantly better (to a 15-40% extent) than controls. It is concluded that negative ionization of the atmosphere by artificial means may be of benefit in certain common, practical situation in which depletion of these ions occurs.