ArticleScientific reports2021
The tiny effects of respiratory masks on physiological, subjective, and behavioral measures under mental load in a randomized controlled trial.
Article in Scientific reports, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Bayesian network meta-analysis of face masks' impact on human physiology.Scientific reports · 2022Pooled it
- Effects of wearing a surgical face mask on cognitive functioning and mood states: a randomised controlled trial in young adults.Cognitive processing · 2025Trial
- Influence of face masks on the subjective impairment at different physical workloads.Scientific reports · 2023Trial
- Article
- Effects of cloth face masks on physical and cognitive performance during maximal exercise testing.Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center) · 2023Article
- Effects of face masks on fairness in on-site personnel selection during a pandemic.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
- The effect of masks on cognitive performance.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2022Article
- Handball Training and Competition With Facemasks in Galicia: The FISICOVID-DXTGALEGO Protocols Experience.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Article
- A pilot study to evaluate the changes in venous blood gas parameters and hypoxia biomarkers in health care workers using different kinds of masks.Lung India : official organ of Indian Chest SocietyArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), face coverings are recommended to diminish person-to-person transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Some public debates concern claims regarding risks caused by wearing face masks, like, e.g., decreased blood oxygen levels and impaired cognitive capabilities. The present, pre-registered study aims to contribute clarity by delivering a direct comparison of wearing an N95 respirator and wearing no face covering. We focused on a demanding situation to show that cognitive efficacy and individual states are equivalent in both conditions. We conducted a randomized-controlled crossover trial with 44 participants. Participants performed the task while wearing an N95 FFR versus wearing none. We measured physiological (blood oxygen saturation and heart rate variability), behavioral (parameters of performance in the task), and subjective (perceived mental load) data to substantiate our assumption as broadly as possible. We analyzed data regarding both statistical equivalence and differences. All of the investigated dimensions showed statistical equivalence given our pre-registered equivalence boundaries. None of the dimensions showed a significant difference between wearing an FFR and not wearing an FFR.Trial Registration: Preregistered with the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/c2xp5 (15/11/2020). Retrospectively registered with German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00024806 (18/03/2021).
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.