Standing desks may boost students’ cognitive function as well as health

The article reports a pilot study on high school freshmen who used standing desks for one school year. Their neurocognitive test scores improved by 7 to 14 percent, and brain imaging showed increased activity in the left prefrontal cortex.

Reading notes

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• Standing desks are presented as a classroom change usually aimed at physical activity and health, but the study examines cognitive effects as well.
• The researchers followed 27 freshmen over one school year at a Texas high school that had standing-biased classrooms.
• The students could stand, sit on a stool, or switch positions during class.
• Five neurocognitive tests measured decision-making, reasoning, working memory, strategy adjustment, and cognitive flexibility.
• Researchers also used functional near infrared spectroscopy on 14 students during testing.
• Test scores improved from the start to the end of the school year.
• The imaging showed increased activity in the left prefrontal cortex.
• Because it was a pilot study, there was no sitting control group.
• The authors recommend larger studies with proper controls and suggest looking at grades and standardized test scores in future research.