Table 3.
Cognitive performance of children without (−Mask) and with a mask (+Mask)—allocation by grade level.
| 5th Grade | 6th Grade | 7th Grade | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| −Mask | +Mask | p | p * | −Mask | +Mask | p | p * | −Mask | +Mask | p | p * | |
| Switch Task | n = 20 | n = 35 | n = 26 | n = 14 | n = 16 | n = 13 | ||||||
| Switch costs (s) | 30.9 (19.8–46.4) | 23.6 (17.0–40.4) | 0.38 | >0.99 | 22.9 ± 12.5 | 27.3 ± 15.7 | 0.33 | >0.99 | 24.3 ± 16.5 | 25.0 ± 19.2 | 0.92 | >0.99 |
| Visual search letters (s) # | 36.0 (30.5–43.4) | 38.5 (31.6–46.3) | 0.50 | >0.99 | 36.5 (31.4–44.0) | 34.2 (31.4–43.0) | 0.75 | >0.99 | 31.1 (27.5–38.8) | 36.5 (30.1–41.1) | 0.22 | >0.99 |
| Visual search numbers (s) | 54.1 ± 15.7 | 54.7 ± 14.7 | 0.90 | >0.99 | 53.6 ± 12.2 | 48.1 ± 8.92 | 0.15 | >0.99 | 48.7 7.75 | 48.7 ± 13.1 | > 0.99 | >0.99 |
| 2-back task | n = 23 | n = 37 | n = 28 | n = 15 | n = 17 | n = 13 | ||||||
| RT (ms) | 510 ± 84.2 | 554 ± 88.6 | 0.06 | 0.72 | 500 ± 135 | 511 ± 85.3 | 0.76 | >0.99 | 550 (457–593) | 540 (430–562) | 0.34 | >0.99 |
| Ratio of missings (%) | 36.2 ± 20.9 | 43.5 ± 20.8 | 0.19 | >0.99 | 33.3 (23.8–42.9) | 38.1 (14.3–47.6) | 0.65 | >0.99 | 25.8 ± 12.5 | 37.0 ± 18.8 | 0.06 | 0.72 |
| Ratio of false alarms (%) | 10.6 (4.71–22.6) | 9.41 (5.88–21.2) | 0.93 | >0.99 | 7.65 (5.88–11.5) | 9.41 (1.18–20.0) | 0.90 | >0.99 | 9.41 (4.71–12.4) | 10.6 (5.29–27.7) | 0.30 | >0.99 |
| Corsi block tapping task | n = 23 | n = 37 | n = 28 | n = 14 | n = 17 | n = 13 | ||||||
| Correct immediate block span (n) | 5.00 (4.00–6.00) | 5.00 (4.00–6.00) | 0.45 | >0.99 | 5.00 (5.00–6.00) | 5.50 (5.00–6.00) | 0.74 | >0.99 | 6.00 (5.00–6.00) | 5.00 (5.00–6.00) | 0.87 | >0.99 |
| Correct sequences (n) | 5.70 ± 2.08 | 6.05 ± 2.09 | 0.52 | >0.99 | 7.00 (6.00–8.00) | 7.50 (6.00–9.00) | 0.89 | >0.99 | 8.00 (5.50–9.00) | 8.00 (6.50–9.00) | 0.77 | >0.99 |
| Score | 9.00 (6.00–13.0) | 11.0 (7.00–16.0) | 0.37 | >0.99 | 14.6 ± 5.54 | 14.4 ± 5.12 | 0.52 | >0.99 | 15.5 ± 5.94 | 16.6 ± 5.70 | 0.60 | >0.99 |
| Flanker task | n = 20 | n = 27 | n = 24 | n = 12 | n = 16 | n = 10 | ||||||
| RT slowing (ms) | 58.2 ± 28.1 | 71.3 ± 48.2 | 0.25 | >0.99 | 91.4 ± 38.4 | 71.4 ± 35.2 | 0.14 | >0.99 | 72.2 21.1 | 87.1 42.2 | 0.32 | >0.99 |
| Difference error rate (%) | 34.6 (14.2–71.6) | 35.5 (15.6–89.2) | 0.61 | >0.99 | 22.9 (10.3–58.4) | 45.8 (13.9–75.6) | 0.28 | >0.99 | 13.3 (6.64–36.7) | 21.0 (5.74–81.6) | 0.59 | >0.99 |
| Count of false alarms (n) | 5.50 (2.25–18.0) | 11.0 (3.00–19.0) | 0.28 | >0.99 | 3.50 (1.00–11.3) | 7.50 (4.25–16.8) | 0.04 | 0.48 | 2.00 (1.00–5.75) | 4.50 (1.75–7.25) | 0.22 | >0.99 |
Normally distributed data are presented as mean ± standard deviation, non-normally distributed are displayed as median (25th–75th percentile); # first twelve reactions, n, number; ms, milliseconds; RT, reaction time; s, second; * Bonferroni-corrected; significant p < 0.05.