Students' blood pressure and heart rate while performing cognitive tasks at education institutions in Northern and Northeastern Brazil.

Background: The use of information and communication technologies improves the versatility of learning environments by broadening the scope of educational practices, allowing students to communicate with other institutions and providing access to information in real time. However, these tools, in addition to environmental characteristics, can increase the internal thermal load, which is directly influenced by the external environment, with a consequent impact on body physiology.

Objective: The present study investigated the relationship between air temperature and blood pressure and heart rate among students performing cognitive tasks at computer laboratories in four public universities (three in Northeastern Brazil and one in Northern Brazilian).