[The effect of geomagnetic disturbances on the functions of attention and memory]

The effect of geomagnetic disturbances on the basic types of voluntary attention and short-term memory was studied. The three-hour K-indices and diurnal AK-indices as parameters of geomagnetic disturbances and psychological tests of attention and memory were used for IBM PC/AT processing. As a result, the test subjects were distributed into two groups according as the attention and memory parameters exhibited a decline or a rise. Decrement of memory was more apparent than that of attention. The short-term memory displayed a decline more frequently than mechanical or image-bearing, whereas the intensity of attention increased more often than memory span or distribution. These data suggest a non-specific impact of geomagnetic disturbances on the processes of attention and memory in humans.