Citation

Kodama T, Morita K, Doi R, Shoji Y, Shigemori M. J. Neurotrauma 2010; 27(9): 1577-1584.

Affiliation

Cognitive and Molecular Research Institute of Brain Diseases and Kurume University, School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan; kodama@fukuokawajiro-reha.jp.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/neu.2009.1119

PMID

20649469

Abstract

Colors are considered to elicit various emotional effects. Red, with its high attention value (likelihood of attracting attention), is considered to have an exciting, active effect, whereas green, with its low attention value, is considered to have a relaxing, sedative effect. Colors are also considered to affect human cognition and emotion. However, there have been few studies on the influences of colors in one's surroundings, i.e., color environment, on cognitive function. In this study, we investigated the influence of differences in color environments (red, green, or black, i.e., darkness) on cognitive function analyzed by the P300 component of the event-related potentials (ERPs) (P300) elicited by visual oddball paradigms as measures of cognitive characteristics in patients who had sustained traumatic brain injury (TBI). In 18 patients with traumatic brain injury and 18 age-matched control subjects, ERPs were recorded in response to photographs of crying babies. We found that P300 amplitudes in the red environment were significantly larger in controls than in patients, while those in both the green environment or darkness showed no difference between controls and patients. P300 latencies in the red environment and darkness were significantly longer in patients than in controls. P300 latency in the red environment was significantly shorter than that in darkness. However, P300 latency in the green environment showed no difference between controls and patients. In healthy individuals, the emotional effects of the red environment enhanced cognitive function. In patients with TBI, however, cognitive function was reduced in the red environment. Furthermore, P300 amplitude and latency were strongly correlated with the time of Trail Making Test (TMT) or the value of Intelligence Quotient of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale- (WAIS-). These findings suggest that P300 amplitude and latency are useful indexes for evaluation of TBI patients, and that color environments affect cognitive function.

Language: en