Analysis of human electroencephalogram features in different indoor environments

• Published in: Building and environment Vol. 186; p. 107328
• Main Authors: Guan, Hongyu, Hu, Songtao, Lu, Mingli, He, Mengyuan, Zhang, Xiaoxia, Liu, Guodan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2020; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Combined environment; Comfort; Discrete Wavelet Transform; EEG; Electroencephalogram (EEG); Electroencephalography; Indoor environments; Parietal lobe; Theta rhythms; Total comfort; Visual signals; Wavelet transform; Wavelet transforms; Combined environment; Total comfort; Wavelet transform; Electroencephalogram (EEG)
• ISSN: 0360-1323; 1873-684X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.107328

Human comfort is linked to health and work performance, and highly depends on the indoor environment. In this study, we studied total comfort in a combined environment by subjective evaluation and electroencephalogram (EEG). A discrete wavelet transform was used to analyze the EEG signals. The results show that thermal, acoustic, visual, and total comforts are significantly correlated and the indoor environments can significantly influence brain cortical activity. In a comfortable environment, the total EEG energy in the parietal lobe (P3, P4) was smaller than in an uncomfortable environment. When subjects felt comfortable, theta frequency-band in the frontal pole (Fp1, Fp2) was significantly increased. These metrics can be used as a biological marker that reflects total comfort in different environments. •Thermal, acoustic, visual and total comfort are significantly correlated.•EEG signals can serve as a biological marker of environmental alterations.•The total EEG energy was larger in uncomfortable environments.•Theta frequency-band increased in comfortable environments.