Does standing alter reaction times and event related potentials compared to sitting in young adults? A counterbalanced, crossover trial

Abstract The present study investigated the effects of attending lectures in sitting and standing postures on executive function of young adults. In this randomized, counterbalanced, crossover trial on 15 adults (19.2 ± 2.4 years), selective attention and executive control (response inhibition) were measured through reaction times and event related potentials (ERPs using electroencephalography [EEG]) associated with congruent and incongruent stimuli presented during a modified Eriksen flanker task. The reaction times and latencies of ERPs for the modified Eriksen flanker task among the interventions (sitting/standing), conditions (congruent/incongruent) and EEG electrodes were analyzed using analyses of variance. Attending a lecture in a standing posture was found to improve executive function (response inhibition) measured with reaction times (for incongruent stimuli) and ERPs (P3 [cognitive potential] amplitude at Pz and Cz electrodes; irrespective of congruent/incongruent stimuli) compared to that of the sitting posture. Standing might improve executive function compared to sitting among young adults in a simulated lecture environment.