嚼食檳榔在台灣是非常普遍的嗜好，但檳榔消費所延伸的問題，大都呈現負面效應，根據研究調查顯示大部分嚼食檳榔者認為嚼檳榔可以提振精神及紓解壓力，但對於此項結果缺乏客觀的量化數據，本研究試圖以腦波來分析嚼食檳榔者的覺醒水準及認知功能之變化。
為了解咀嚼行為之差異，將20位受測者分別嚼食檳榔及口香糖前後，進行腦波測定及修改之旁側夾擊作業(modified flanker task)誘發之事件關聯電位測定，由電腦記錄實驗所測得之腦波及行為反應相關量測數據。在腦波測定方面，從腦波信號計算三個基本指數θ、α、β及三個比率指數θ/α、β/α、(θ+α)/β，以及P300成份波之振幅和潛時。在行為反應紀錄，則記錄旁側夾擊作業之反應時間(reaction time; RT)及失誤率(error rate; ER)，並且在咀嚼前後量測心跳及血壓。最後，將各項數據之總和進行平均，其結果分析使用統計之t檢定來找出三種作業期間之顯著差異。
結果顯示，咀嚼檳榔及口香糖腦波兩組功率基本指數θ下降、α波上升，顯示確有提振精神之作用，而比率指數θ/α、β/α皆為顯著減少，表示疲勞程度降低、警覺指數下降，達到提振精神及紓解壓力之效果。在腦波事件關聯電位P300成份波方面，實驗組於咀嚼作業後，潛時則達統計之顯著減少，表示認知反應縮短，但振幅則無明顯差異。另外，在行為反應記錄旁側夾擊作業之反應時間及失誤率，嚼食檳榔後之反應時間明顯下降，與P300成分波之量測結果符合。血壓及心跳方面，實驗組皆有明顯變化，顯示咀嚼檳榔對交感神經有顯著影響。
本研究發現咀嚼口香糖與咀嚼檳榔皆能提升覺醒水準，表示口香糖亦可達到提振精神及紓解壓力之結果，維持認知功能，對作業績效也無影響。建議咀嚼檳榔藉以提振精神或紓解壓力者，可改為咀嚼口香糖，亦可達到相同的效果，更可維持身體健康及環境衛生。 Betel quid chewing is a very popular habit in Taiwan. The effects on betel quid chewing are usually negative. Most of the betel quid consumers think that chewing betel quid would spirit up and relax themselves. Few studies with objective results verify the effects on chewing betel quid mentioned above. The study attempted to evaluate the effect on betel quid chewing by using electroencephalography (EEG). Twenty subjects conducted EEG measures and acquired the ERP induced from a modified Flanker task. EEG power and the ERP induced from a modified flanker tasks would be measured from subjects of experimental group before and 10 min after chewing betel quid. Behavior responses and EEG measurements are recorded on a personal computer. For EEG power, three EEG basic power indices including θ,α, and β and three EEG ratio indices including θ/α,β/α, and (θ+α)/β are calculated from EEG measurements were employed to evaluate the subjects’ arousal levels after chewing betel quid. The amplitude and latency of P300 component of ERP were used to evaluate the variations of the subjects’ cognitive functions for betel quid chewing. The response time (RT) and error rate(ER) from flanker tasks were employed to evaluate the subjects’ behavior responses after chewing betel quid. The EEG power indices, P300 component of ERP incorporated RT and ER were used to evaluate the effect on arousal level and cognitive function for betel quid chewing. For comparing the effects on chewing to arouse spirit and release stress, the subjects of control group chewing a chewing gum and the EEG, ERP, RT and ER were measured with the same procedure mentioned above.
The result showed that basic index θ was significantly decreased and α increased after chewing betel quid. Both ratio indices θ/α and β/αwere significantly reduced, indicated lowered fatigue index and decreased alertness level i.e., arose the spirit and got relaxation. The grand average of P300 latency in the experimental group was significantly reduced, indicated lower cognitive response, but no significant difference on P300 amplitude. Reaction time and error rate from the flanker task. were decreased after chewing betel quid. On the hand, subjects’ blood pressures and heart rates showed a significantly change in the experimental group, indicated chewing betel quid has a significant effect on the sympathetic. The study found that both chewing gum and betel quid enhance similar arousal level. Chewing gum can also refresh and relax oneself as the effect of chewing betel quid. The author proposes the betel nut consumer could change chewing gum to get refreshment and relaxation. Chewing gum can achieve the same effect as betel quid, but not to harm oral health and spoil the environmental sanitation.
