A research team at Samsung Medical Center has published neurophysiological evidence in the international journal Hearing Research showing that active noise cancellation (ANC) not only blocks external noise but also helps the brain maintain focus.
Forty-one adults with normal hearing performed a fact-finding task in a noisy environment. The researchers compared performance with and without active noise cancellation (ANC) and found that oxyhemoglobin concentration in the prefrontal cortex decreased significantly when ANC was initiated. They interpreted this change as a redistribution of blood flow to brain areas critical for concentration, rather than a decline in brain function.
The difference between the two conditions was statistically significant in a region of the right frontal lobe. This indicates that the right hemisphere became more active when participants focused selectively in a noisy environment.
Listening comfort, measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), increased significantly from 51.45 points without active noise cancellation (ANC) to 71.17 points with ANC, indicating reduced listening difficulty. In contrast, reaction time and accuracy showed no significant differences between the two conditions.
Professor Il Joon Moon stated, “This study proves that noise cancellation can contribute to maintaining concentration beyond simply blocking out noise,” adding that it can be a valuable tool for people who work or study in noisy environments.