The Effects Of Heat On Cognitive Performance
A scientific study conducted at Harvard University indicates that heat affects our cognitive performance. Thus, it was discovered that the cognitive performances of the students could be altered by the ambient temperature; heat therefore has adverse effects on cognitive performance.
The Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health published an informative article on the link between “extreme heat and reduced cognitive performance in youth with access to air conditioning”. Students who lived in rooms without air conditioning during a period of heat performed worse on a series of cognitive tests.
The researchers therefore brought together experts from different disciplines. The aim was to train the new generations of world leaders in health. Thus, the ultimate goal is the production of innovative ideas that improve the quality of life of people around the world.
One of the fundamental goals of the institution is that researchers, educators and student leaders can work together to apply ideas uncovered in the laboratory to everyone’s daily life.
Research on the effects of heat
The field study shows to what extent the effects of heat have a negative influence on the cognitive performance of young healthy individuals. In this way, indoor temperatures during a heat wave significantly affect the ability to develop intellectual skills.
Research is adding a new dimension to the knowledge we had so far on the harmful effects of heat on the well-being of the general population, regardless of age and physical condition.
If until the results of this study, it was believed that only children and the elderly could be affected by high temperature waves, we now know that all this is not quite true. Harvard reports that even young people with superior intellectual abilities can be affected by a heat wave. This considerably diminishes their natural capacities.
José Guillermo Cedeño, a researcher at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, is the lead author of the study. He indicates that “to remedy this blind spot, we conducted our research during a heat wave in Boston with healthy students living in dormitories”.
José Guillermo Cedeño also underlines the importance of knowing the risks inherent in different populations. Not to mention that, in many cities, the number of heat waves is expected to increase in the coming years. And this because of climate change.
Why study the effects of heat on a global scale?
It is important to study the effects of heat. Climate change is present globally and has serious consequences for public health. It is precisely the leading cause of death among the elderly, among all weather phenomena.
It is essential to follow the course of research to find out how heat affects us. It is also necessary to resolve the problems that may arise from exposure to the latter, which depends on various variables. Thus, climate change could have devastating consequences on our quality of life. To preserve the quality of life for future generations, we will have to implement public policies to protect the environment.
