A groundbreaking study from the University of Sussex reveals that drivers face a higher risk of accidents when obstacles appear during a heartbeat rather than between beats.
Reaction time is crucial in preventing traffic accidents, influenced by factors like alcohol, phone use, or texting. Surprisingly, your heartbeat may also play a key role, according to research led by Dr. Sarah Garfinkel at the University of Sussex in the UK.
To investigate, researchers created a virtual reality driving simulator. Participants drove while obstacles appeared either synced with their heartbeat or in between beats.
Results showed slower reaction times—and greater accident risk—when obstacles coincided with heartbeats. "If you're driving and excited, with a fast-beating heart, more systoles [ventricular contractions] disrupt your reaction time and ability to avoid obstacles," the study notes.
Prior research has shown heart systoles create an "inhibitory" effect on brain processing. For instance, a needle prick hurts less if timed with a heartbeat.
Dr. Garfinkel's team also found systoles impair memory: words presented during beats are harder to recall than those shown irregularly.
These cardiac receptors, which help regulate blood pressure, also influence cognitive functions. "There appear to be 'better' and 'worse' cardiac phases for sensory processing," explains Michael Gaebler from Germany's Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences.
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