Research: High heat connected with poor cognitive performance

Individuals in hotter environments perform worse in cognitive tests than contemporaries in cooler environments, says study.

Students living in dorms lacking air-conditioners during a heat wave, were recruited into the study led by Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health and consequently observed to have performed lesser in cognitive examinations than their colleagues in cooler dorms.

The students were monitored closely with the installation of a device that measured temperature, level of carbon dioxide, humidity and noise levels as well as tracking their sleep patterns.

The report is of high importance given that it disagrees with findings from similar studies conducted in, using the elderly population.

Jose Guillermo Cedeno-Laurent, a fellow at the institution, said “most of the research on the health effects of heat has been done in vulnerable populations, such as elderly, creating the perception that the general population is not at risk from heat waves”.

“To address this blind spot, we studied healthy students living in dorms as a natural intervention during heat wave in Boston. Knowing what the risks are across different populations is critical considering that in many cities such as Boston, the number of heat waves is projected to increase due to climate change” he added.