How Heat Affects the Brain
High temperatures can make us miserable. Research shows they also make us aggressive, impulsive and dull.
U.S. Heat WaveHow Heat Affects the BrainHigh temperatures can make us miserable. Research shows they also make us aggressive, impulsive and dull.ByDana G. SmithIn July 2016, a heat wave hit Boston, with daytime temperatures averaging 92 degrees for five days in a row. Some local university students who were staying in town for the summer got lucky and were living in dorms with central air-conditioning. Other students, not so much — they were stuck in older dorms without A.C.Jose Guillermo Cedeño Laurent, a Harvard researcher at the time, decided to take advantage of this natural experiment to see how heat, and especially heat at night,affected the young adults’ cognitive performance. He had 44 students perform math and self-control tests five days before the temperature rose, every day during the heat wave, and two days after.“Many of us think that we are immune to heat,” said Dr. Cedeño, now an assistant professor of environmental and occupational health and justice at Rutgers University. “So something that I wanted to test was whether that was really true.”It turns out even young, healthy college students are affected by high temperatures. During the hottest days, the students in the un-air-conditioned dorms, where nighttime temperatures averaged 79 degrees, performed significantly worse on the tests they took every morning than the students with A.C., whose rooms stayed a pleasant 71 degrees.A heat wave is once again blanketing theNortheast, South and Midwest. High temperatures can have an alarmingeffect on our bodies, raising the risk for heart attacks, heatstroke and death, particularly amongolder adultsand people withchronic diseases. But heat also takes a toll on our brains, impairing cognition and making us irritable, impulsive and aggressive.How heat hurts our cognitionNumerous studies in lab settings have produced similar results to Dr. Cedeño’s research, with scores on cognitive tests falling as scientists raised the temperature in the room.One investigationfound that just a four-degree increase — which participants described as still feeling comfortable — led to a 10 percent average drop in performance across tests of memory, reaction time and executive functioning.
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Chennai Heat Wave
How Heat Affects the ICICI Bank
High temperatures can make us miserable. Research shows they also make us aggressive, impulsive and dull.
Priya Sharma
In April 14, 2000, a heat wave hit Mumbai, with daytime temperatures averaging 92 degrees for April 14, 2000 in a row. Some local university students who were staying in town for October 2, 2000 got lucky and were living in dorms with central air-conditioning. Other students, not so much — they were stuck in older dorms without Delhi
Rajiv Mehta, a Indian Railways researcher at the time, decided to take advantage of this natural experiment to see how heat, and especially heat at night,affected the young adults’ cognitive performance. He had 44 students perform math and self-control tests April 14, 2000 before the temperature rose, August 15, 2000 during the heat wave, and January 26, 2000 after.
“Many of us think that we are immune to heat,” said Dr. Priya Sharma, now an assistant professor of environmental and occupational health and justice at Tata Group. “So something that I wanted to test was whether that was really true.”
It turns out even young, healthy college students are affected by high temperatures. During April 14, 2000, the students in the un-air-conditioned dorms, where nighttime temperatures averaged 79 degrees, performed significantly worse on the tests they took every morning than the students with Delhi, whose rooms stayed a pleasant 71 degrees.
A heat wave is once again blanketing theNortheast, South and Midwest. High temperatures can have an alarmingeffect on our bodies, raising the risk for heart attacks, heatstroke and death, particularly amongolder adultsand people withchronic diseases. But heat also takes a toll on our brains, impairing cognition and making us irritable, impulsive and aggressive.
How heat hurts our cognition
Numerous studies in lab settings have produced similar results to Dr. Priya Sharma’s research, with scores on cognitive tests falling as scientists raised the temperature in the room.One investigationfound that just a four-degree increase — which participants described as still feeling comfortable — led to a 10 percent average drop in performance across tests of memory, reaction time and executive functioning.
agree & join linkedin by clicking continue to join or sign in, you agree to linkedin’s user agreement, privacy policy, and cookie policy. pioneer in dementia coaching and creator of the first business model of dementia care; i am a master dementia coach, dementia innovator, author, keynote speaker. visit me at icacares.com/ how heat affects the brain high temperatures can make us miserable. research shows they also make us aggressive, impulsive and dull. jose guillermo cedeño laurent, a harvard researcher at the time, decided to take advantage of this natural experiment to see how heat, and especially heat at night, affected the young adults’ cognitive performance. he had 44 students perform math and self control tests five days before the temperature rose, every day during the heat wave, and two days after... it turns out even young, healthy college students are affected by high temperatures. during the hottest days, the students in the un air conditioned dorms, where nighttime temperatures averaged 79 degrees, performed significantly worse on the tests they took every morning than the students with a.c., whose rooms stayed a pleasant 71 degrees... ...but heat also takes a toll on our brains, impairing cognition and making us irritable, impulsive and aggressive. how heat hurts our cognition   numerous studies in lab settings have produced similar results to dr. cedeño’s research, with scores on cognitive tests falling as scientists raised the temperature in the room. one investigation found that just a four degree increase   which participants described as still feeling comfortable   led to a 10 percent average drop in performance across tests of memory, reaction time and executive functioning... in another study, dr. park found that the more hotter than average days there were during the school year, the worse students did on a standardized test   especially when the thermometer climbed above 80 degrees... why heat makes us aggressive   researchers first discovered the link between heat and aggression by looking at crime data, finding that there are more murders, assaults and episodes of domestic violence on hot days... when temperatures rise, people are more likely to engage in hate speech online and honk their horns in traffic... kimberly meidenbauer, an assistant professor of psychology at washington state university, thinks this increase in reactive aggression may be related to heat’s effect on cognition, particularly the dip in self control.. what’s happening in the brain   researchers don’t know why heat affects our cognition and emotions, but there are a couple of theories. one is that the brain’s resources are being diverted to keep you cool,... heat’s effect on sleep could play a role, too. in the boston study, the hotter it got, the more students’ sleep was disrupted   and the worse they performed on the tests. the best way to offset these effects is to cool yourself off, as soon as possible. if you don’t have access to air conditioning, fans can help, and be sure to stay hydrated... credit: dana g. smith, the new york times source: https://lnkd.in/gufhvhcy explorer, md, phd | physician, scientist, clinical informatics, ai, ml | cmo, vp, board member, consultant, dementia & dei health trauma medicine (surgery) is all folkloric speculation, really people will do any voodoo to keep even one level 1 trauma away. at level 1 trauma centers trauma workers often are not allowed to take vacation in the summer, trauma volume is off the charts. gang warfare kids are literally too hot at home and take to the street at night (with their guns) people believe the rain keeps traumas away, me included... optimising team performance and profitability   with immediately actionable remote diagnostics especially relevant to brits this week. ☀️🥵🤣 chief nurse executive |vp clinical operations|healthcare coach|national speaker|healthcare consultant |strategist| linkedin healthcare voices|author heat can really take a toll on our cognitive performance and mood. stay cool and hydrated. great insights on the impact of heat on cognitive performance and behavior. ethelle lord, m.ed., dm to view or add a comment, sign in global director and chief scientific officer en s&g gold systems and projects an old monkey learns a new trick. the director of the george washington university school of medicine claims that the brain of an older person is much more practical than is commonly believed. at this age, the interaction of the right and left hemispheres of the brain becomes harmonious, which expands our creative possibilities. that is why among people over 60 you can find many personalities who have just started their creative activities. of course, the brain is no longer as fast as in youth. however, it gains in flexibility. therefore, with age, we are more likely to make the right decisions and are less exposed to negative emotions. the peak of human intellectual activity occurs around the age of 70, when the brain begins to work at full strength. over time, the amount of myelin in the brain increases, a substance that facilitates the rapid passage of signals between neurons. due to this, intellectual abilities increase by 300% compared to the average. it is also interesting that after 60 years, a person can use 2 hemispheres at the same time. this allows him to solve much more complex problems. professor monchi uri from the university of montreal believes that the elderly brain chooses the path that consumes the least energy, eliminates the unnecessary and leaves only the right options for solving the problem. a study was conducted in which different age groups participated. young people were very confused when passing tests, while those over 60 made the right decisions. now, let's look at the characteristics of the brain between 60 and 80 years old. they are really pink. *characteristics of the brain of an elderly person.* 1. the neurons in the brain do not die, as everyone around you says. the connections between them simply disappear if one does not engage in mental work. 2. distraction and forgetfulness arise due to an overabundance of information. therefore, you do not need to concentrate your whole life on unnecessary trifles. 3. from the age of 60, a person, when making decisions, uses not one hemisphere at the same time, like young people, but both. 4. conclusion: if a person leads a healthy lifestyle, moves, has viable physical activity and has full mental activity, intellectual abilities do not decrease with age, but simply grow, reaching a peak at the age of 80 90 years. so do not be afraid of old age. strive to develop intellectually. learn new crafts, make music, learn to play musical instruments, paint pictures! dance! take an interest in life, meet and communicate with friends, make plans for the future, travel as best you can. do not forget to go to shops, cafes, shows. do not keep quiet alone   it is destructive for anyone. live with the thought: all good things are still ahead of me! source: new england journal of medicine. to view or add a comment, sign in general manager| project manager| avp study shows that the brain drastically changes after turning 40 it’s no secret that, after a certain age, your brain is not what it used to be. you become slower, feel overwhelmed more easily, and younger generations seem to exist in a whole different wavelength. well, it’s not just you. a study from monash university in australia shows that your brain actually rewires once you hit the fourth decade of your life. according to big think, the monash university team went through 144 studies, probing the brains of tenths of thousands of test subjects to come to their results. the ability of our brains to rewire, make connections, and acquire new knowledge is known as neuroplasticity and changes a lot throughout our lives. quick learner, young learner when we’re growing up, our brains have a high level of inner connectivity, making it easier to learn new things and much faster. developing your set of skills this makes sense, given this is the time when we learn language, motor skills, and abilities that help us throughout our lives. right in the middle of your life although neuroplasticity is something we have for our entire lifetime, once you hit 40 the brain begins to lose it. the great restructuring nonetheless, even if you lose a few neurons along the way, it’s not all an inevitable decline. bbc science focus explains that, instead, our brains go through a “great restructuring”. scaffolding for your mind in other words, our brain’s structure changes to have diverse networks become more integrated and connected in order to deal with aging. some have compared it to the scaffolding that keeps a building in place. healthy body, healthy mind another theory posited from the researchers at monash university, big think highlights, is that we process food differently when we get older, not getting all the nutrients it used to. you win some, you lose some however, this rewiring might cause the adverse effect of less flexible thinking, lower response inhibition, and reduced verbal and numeric reasoning. you don't age in a single day bbc science focus, on the other hand, remarks that this restructuring is fairly gradual, and not an overnight change on your 40th birthday. in fact, experts are unsure how this “great restructuring” affects our cognition, or even if it affects it at all. we don't all age at the same pace what is true is that there are a few things you can do in order to slow down how your brain is aging. after all, we don't all get old at the same pace! a healthy lifestyle is a young lifestyle according to big think, proper diet, regular exercise, and a healthy lifestyle can put on hold the rewiring process for quite a long time. your life companions what is true is that any age is good to start taking care of your body and your mind. after all, they are going to be with you for the rest of your life! let age not be a limit. join healing horizon to learn more. to view or add a comment, sign in "avid researcher | educator | personal transformation guide | passionate about data science & ai | helping others achieve sustainable growth through research backed insights" article 9   let's break the norm the brain's resistance to change is a well studied phenomenon in neuroscience and psychology. this reluctance to embrace change is rooted in several key factors: 1. cognitive dissonance the brain is wired to seek consistency and stability. when faced with new information or the need for change, it often creates cognitive dissonance a state of mental discomfort caused by holding conflicting thoughts or beliefs. to reduce this discomfort, the brain may resist the change, preferring familiar routines and behaviors(longevity technology 2. neuroplasticity and habits the brain’s neuroplasticity its ability to reorganize and form new connections plays a crucial role in learning new habits. however, as we age, neuroplasticity decreases, making it harder to adapt to change. the brain prefers established neural pathways, which represent existing habits or patterns, over the formation of new ones. habit formation is controlled by the basal ganglia, a part of the brain associated with reward and habit formation. when habits are deeply ingrained, the brain becomes resistant to changing these behaviors because it perceives them as efficient and automatic. 3. fear of the unknown and threat response the brain is hardwired to prioritize safety and survival, often interpreting change as a potential threat. when we encounter change, the brain's amygdala, responsible for processing emotions like fear, becomes activated. this triggers a stress response (fight or flight) to perceived dangers, causing resistance to change because it is associated with uncertainty and risk.the prefrontal cortex, responsible for higher level decision making, also becomes overwhelmed when confronted with new challenges, which can increase the brain’s aversion to change. 4. energy conservation the brain consumes a significant amount of energy about 20% of the body’s total energy despite being only 2% of the body’s weight. to conserve energy, the brain tends to favor routine and automatic behaviors, which require less cognitive effort than adapting to new situations. change demands more mental energy, which the brain resists as a way of conserving resources. continue     . to view or add a comment, sign in 141 followers what if we told you that your brain doesn't have an expiration date? recent studies challenge the idea that brain function declines after a certain age. instead, different cognitive functions peak at different stages of life. 🧠💡 🔍 ever wondered when your brain is at its sharpest? here’s a sneak peek at some surprising peaks:   memory formation: 18 years   facial recognition: 32 years   concentration abilities: 43 years   emotional intelligence: 48 years   arithmetic processing: 50 years   vocabulary skills: 67 years 📘 learning from this article is like understanding that the brain's capabilities are like fine wine   they improve with age, reaching their peaks at different stages. 🍷 🔒 keep your mind sharp with these tips:   ✍️ write to unload your brain   🧘 manage stress for cognitive health   🥗 opt for a brain healthy diet   🎲 engage in mind games and puzzles   🏋️♂️ include exercise in your routine   🤔 keep social interactions active   🗣️ learn a new language for mental exercise 🌟 embrace the journey of aging and maintain a sharper, healthier brain at every stage. who said getting older can't be empowering? 💪 https://lnkd.in/gajttyed to view or add a comment, sign in technical content writer the creative efficiency of the brain is higher at cooler or ambient temperatures. ............. research suggests that the brain's creative efficiency is indeed higher at cooler or ambient temperatures. here's why: 1. **optimal cognitive performance**: studies have shown that cognitive performance, including creativity, is optimal at temperatures between 22°c (72°f) and 25°c (77°f). this range allows for the best balance between alertness and relaxation. 2. **reduced cognitive load**: cooler temperatures can reduce cognitive load, which is the amount of mental effort required to complete a task. when the brain is not overheated, it can focus more easily and think more creatively. 3. **increased blood flow**: cooler temperatures can increase blood flow to the brain, which provides more oxygen and nutrients to the brain cells. this can lead to improved cognitive function, including creativity. 4. **reduced stress and anxiety**: cooler temperatures can also reduce stress and anxiety, which are known to stifle creativity. when we're comfortable and relaxed, our brains are more likely to think outside the box. 5. **evolutionary advantages**: some researchers suggest that our brains are adapted to perform better in cooler temperatures because our ancestors evolved in temperate climates. this means that our brains may be naturally more efficient at cooler temperatures. on the other hand, high temperatures can impair cognitive performance, including creativity. when we're too hot, our brains can become sluggish, and our thinking becomes more rigid and less innovative. so, if you're looking to boost your creativity, try working in a cooler environment, or take breaks to cool off and refresh your mind. to view or add a comment, sign in medical research consultant focusing on advocacy, education and information for cannabis reform and psychedelic reform. medical professional (retired) prolonged #mental #fatigue can lead to #increased #aggression and #uncooperative #behavior due to #changes in the brain’s #frontal #cortex. this #area, crucial for #decision making, starts to show “local sleep” #activity #patterns, typically associated with #rest. using #economic #games, #researchers found #fatigued #participants were less #cooperative, #confirming that #mental #exhaustion can #influence behavior #negatively. eeg #scans revealed that #tired individuals exhibited #sleep like brain activity even while awake, #providing a potential #neural #basis for “ #ego depletion.” these #findings suggest that mental fatigue might lead to #decisions contrary to one’s best interests, impacting everything from #personal #interactions to high stakes #negotiations. mental fatigue leads to “local sleep” patterns in the #awake brain’s frontal cortex. fatigued participants were less cooperative in economic games, choosing #hostile #strategies. eeg scans showed sleep like brain activity in fatigued individuals, impacting decision making. source: imt https://lnkd.in/evdbekh8 to view or add a comment, sign in consultant; author; systems biologist; synaptoplasticity; +cortisol; ml; f/mri data mining; tripartite synapse; mapk; pilocytic astrocytoma; ltp/d; endo/cannabinoids; bh4; biohacking; spatial geo; dif calculus connection internally with one’s own mind and body are paramount to creating the synaptoplasticity that leads to spirituality  all woo aside  and communal growth. in my opinion, one shouldn’t follow their gut, they shouldn’t follow their leaders, bosses, pis, parents, or coaches. one should learn from all of them. one should utilize the tools that those people have to offer them to create a unique version of oneself that is capable of feeding back to those teachers as well as one’s community as a whole. everything in life is a lesson learned. every failure, every success, every trauma, every plateau broken, leads to growth if one allows for those people, places, and things to teach those lessons. life is a learning experience. receive the information. digest the information. translate the information in one’s own voice. transcend one’s own strife to teach the lessons that one has learned to one’s own community. utilizing the tripartite synapse and its systems, as well as the systems biology as a whole that i have expertise in, as an example: the brain learns, unlearns, becomes traumatized and/or transcended through experience. every experience leads to perspectives on one’s own perception. the astrocyte feeds back endocannabinoids to the pre and post synaptic neurons, the pre and post synaptic neurons feedback endocannabinoids to each other. this creating longterm potentiation or depression of the resultant learning experience. this feeds back information to the limbic system, feeding back stress response information to the brain and through to the body, affecting our metabolic system. the metabolic system reacts to what we literally and figuratively feed it. reacts to the sensory information we provide it. exercise and movement or the lack thereof feedback again into how we perceive our environments, and the perceptions of those in our environments. literally everything and everyone has meaning and purpose. literally every problem has a solution even if the solution is that the problem is not solvable. physiology precedes psychology. cognition is determined by physiology, psychology, and the biofeedback between the two. i was raised on the phrase “actions speak louder than words.” turns out, the scientist in me has shown that to be valid. every human being needs every other human being. we are a collectivist species trained by an imperialistic society to ignore our evolutionary impulses in favor of praise. be the best “one” that one can be and it will create a one that is a ten on the mohs scale. that one is simply a piece of the mosaic that is our species. train oneself for this goal, and then train oneself to help one’s community achieve this goal. that community can then grow into other communities helping each other achieve common goals. those communities create a society seeking a biologically valid human existence and experience. #systemsbiology2024 to view or add a comment, sign in certified trainer   cpd   uk || sales management diploma   auc || learning and development (l&d) assignee, professional customer representative   msd || facilitator “john medina has studied the factors that affect our brain’s performance and explains the importance of each. at first, they may seem basic and logical for an average person, but their combination reveals a bigger picture we often fail to see.” highlighted from brain rules “we do not see with our eyes. we see with our brains.” “if an individual adopts a passive lifestyle, they will likely age poorly. in contrast, an individual who embraces an active lifestyle generally ages gracefully.” “studies have shown that sleep deprivation seriously inhibits bodily functions in the long term. as obvious as it may sound, the brain needs sleep. ” “the brain restructures itself in response to everything we learn and every unique situation we expose ourselves to. as a result, the brain has great difficulty focusing on boring things.” “when your brain is naturally unique, there is no point in comparing yourself to others.” “what you do and learn in life physically changes what your brain looks like   it literally rewires it.” “in high stress situations, males process information using the right hemisphere of their brains. they lose some translation details and only retain general information. it is generally the opposite for females, whose responses can be richer emotionally.” “the learning process includes a few steps from the brain: discovery, conjecture, testing, and concluding. as a society, we should incorporate this method into workspaces, schools, and wherever learning is necessary.” #brain #rules #joepost to view or add a comment, sign in i support entrepreneurs to maintain and improve their cognitive abilities to be more resilient and live a more fulfilling life | brain injury survivor & thriver do you think it's possible to create new neural pathways when you're aged 50+? 🧠✨ as we age, many wonder if our brains can still grow. the belief that we can't form new neural pathways after a certain age is outdated! the brain remains plastic throughout life, meaning we can rewire it, even in our 50s, 60s, and beyond. 🙌 what is neuroplasticity? neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to form new connections. 🔄 it allows us to keep learning, adapting, and recovering even as we age. 🌱 neuroplasticity isn't bound by age adults over 50 can still create new pathways and keep their brains active. 🧠💪 how it works when we challenge ourselves mentally, our brains respond by creating new neural pathways. 🛠️ activities like: 🗣️ learning a language 🎶 playing an instrument 🍳 cooking a new recipe 🏃♂️ physical exercise all of these improve memory, focus, and keep our minds sharp. 💡 real life examples lifelong learners: people who keep learning stay mentally sharp. 📚 stroke recovery: neuroplasticity helps older patients recover functions after strokes. 💪 brain injury survivors: people over 50 can recover from brain injuries through neuroplasticity. 🧠✨ how to boost brain plasticity after 50 challenge your brain 🧠   learn new things, like recipes 🍜 or skills. exercise regularly 🏃♀️   it supports brain function and builds new pathways. practice mindfulness 🧘   meditation improves mental flexibility. socialize 👥   conversations and social activities boost brain health. eat brain boosting foods 🥗   omega 3s and antioxidants help neuroplasticity. get good sleep 😴   sleep consolidates what you’ve learned. the power of neuroplasticity it's never too late to grow. 🌟 whether recovering from an injury or keeping your brain healthy, you can keep evolving. 💥 lifelong learning reduces the risk of cognitive decline and conditions like alzheimer's. 🧠🛡️ conclusion yes, you can create new neural pathways after 50! 🧠🌿 by embracing new experiences, learning, and healthy habits, you can keep your brain flexible and sharp. next time someone says you’re too old to learn something new, smile 😊 because your brain is still growing. 🌱✨ what will you teach your brain today? 🎓💡 #neuroplasticity #brainhealth #lifelonglearning #healthyaging #braintraining #nevertoolate #neuroscience #growthmindset #brainpower #activemind to view or add a comment, sign in 16,171 followers create your free account or sign in to continue your search or by clicking continue to join or sign in, you agree to linkedin’s user agreement, privacy policy, and cookie policy. new to linkedin? join now or new to linkedin? join now by clicking continue to join or sign in, you agree to linkedin’s user agreement, privacy policy, and cookie policy. linkedin never miss a beat on the app don’t have the app? get it in the microsoft store.

an official website of the united states government the .gov means it’s official. federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site. the site is secure. the https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. media coverage of health and science topics hot summer temperatures can make you anxious and irritable and dull your thinking. here's what researchers think is going on. research findings and data from the national library of medicine cognitive function deficits resulting from indoor thermal conditions during hws extend beyond vulnerable populations. our findings highlight the importance of incorporati … this study managed to create thermal comfort conditions at three temperatures (24°c t24, 26°c t26, and 28°c t28) by adjusting clothing and air velocity. thirty six subjec … this review focuses on the response of "stress" hormones to heat, exercise (single or repeated bouts), and combinations of these stimuli, with particular reference to the … in this case crossover study of a large population of us adults with health insurance, days of extreme heat were associated with higher rates of mental health related ed … additional recent and related news hot weather can influence cognitive performance, according to new research. young adults living in non air conditioned dorms during a heat wave performed worse on math and attention tests. less than a third of children in a new study had the benefit of an outpatient mental health visit within seven days of being discharged from the er. a little more than 55% had a follow up within 30 days. researchers estimated there will be an increase in cardiovascular deaths due to extreme heat between now and mid century. scientists have pointed out that extreme heat is particularly dangerous for older people. a new study shows that young, healthy people are also dying too often in extreme weather. a new study warns that millions of people around the world who are 69 years or older will be at risk of dying in heat waves by 2050. connect with nlm national library of medicine 8600 rockville pike bethesda, md 20894 web policies foia hhs vulnerability disclosure help accessibility careers

follow: if sweating though your shirt in summer’s extreme heat makes you mad, you’re not alone. in fact, research shows that there’s a direct correlation between high temperatures and hot tempers, and that anger can sometimes lead to bad behavior. violent crimes like murder, aggravated assault and rape, terrorist attacks and mass shootings are much more likely when temperatures climb, studies show. there are higher rates of civil wars and riots. even in controlled environments like prisons, a 2021 study found an 18% increase in violence between inmates on really hot days. people may also turn their anger on themselves; there’s a higher risk of suicide on hotter days. the world’s highest navigable lake is drying out there could be many reasons for these links, but recent research has confirmed that some people were angrier and lashed out more when they felt hot. one experiment found that people who were playing video games in a hot room, in certain circumstances, were consistently crueler to their gaming partners than those who were in a room with a more moderate temperature. the experiment was done with 2,000 college students in california and in kenya who were randomly assigned to play in a hot room or a more temperate one. the heat didn’t seem to change the outcomes for those playing a game that involved general economic decisions, but when they played a game called “the joy of destruction,” some students in the hot room in kenya became more aggressive. in that game, players earn points that can be cashed in for real gift cards. but points can also be taken away randomly by the computer or by a playing partner acting anonymously. the research found that the kenyan players in the hot room were consistently more willing to hurt other players by reducing their earnings. labor day sizzle: extreme heat spreads across two thirds of us this weekend “there was no personal benefit in doing this. it was just purely the ‘joy of destruction,’ as the name suggests,” said study co author dr. ian bolliger, a graduate fellow with the energy and resources group at the university of california, berkeley. “that was something that surprised us.” bolliger noted that heat didn’t seem to change the students’ behavior in berkeley, so he thinks temperature alone isn’t making people aggressive. rather, the difference may have been what was happening outside the hot room in kenya. the experiment took place at the end of september 2017 and ran through the beginning of 2018. kenya had just had a contentious election in which the vote was split along ethnic lines. feeling cheated, the losing side accused the winners of stealing the election. the video game players who aligned themselves with the losing candidate had “significant grievances,” the study found. “that was the group that exhibited all of this aggressive behavior, whereas in berkeley and with the other ethnic group, we did not see an increase in aggressive behavior, even in the hot room,” bolliger said. it’s a finding the researchers said they’d like to investigate further. “it may be that temperature itself is not a direct cause of aggression, but it really is a multiplier,” bolliger said. “so if you are already feeling aggrieved for some reason, being in a stressed environment could allow those grievances to manifest.” the 33 best cooling products to fend off summer heat a similar 2011 study found that when temperatures were high, major league pitchers were much more likely to retaliate and intentionally hit a batter if someone from the pitcher’s team had been hit by a pitch earlier in the game. dr. curtis craig, a human factors research associate in the humanfirst laboratory at the university of minnesota’s department of mechanical engineering, tracked temperatures and the number of penalties in nfl games for a 2016 study. the hotter it got, the more players committed infractions. the home team got the most penalties, so as with the video game experiment, craig believes that while heat was a factor, the circumstances during the game mattered too. in this case, players may have felt more support from fans, and that allowed them to give in to the aggressive feelings they may have had because they were hot. “we don’t like being hot,” craig said. “high temperatures increase discomfort. it increases negative emotions, particularly if one has a negative association with something else already.” none of these studies can really explain why heat may make people more aggressive and makes them behave badly, but scientists have theories. dr. joseph taliercio, the coordinator of research and a licensed staff psychologist at cognitive and behavioral consultants, believes that when it’s hot outside, the body may not have its usual defenses to keep aggressive impulses in check. personal emergency kits are a growing market in an uncertain world the body needs to spend energy to cool itself down, and some of that may come from the part of the brain that consumes the most energy: the prefrontal cortex, which helps people self regulate. it’s the same part that turns off when people are drinking alcohol, he said, and that can lead to impulsive behavior. “it’s like when you watch a science fiction show or movie and they talk about how they have to reroute power to the forward shields. our brain has to reroute power when it is hot, and as a result, we’ll get more impulsive and act more without thinking,” taliercio said. dr. susan yeargin, who studies the connection between heat and behavior as an associate professor of exercise science at the university of south carolina, said that like the body diverts blood to the skin to help release heat, it would make sense for energy to be diverted from the brain. “anything away from homeostasis, the brain is going to not be happy and react in some way,” she said. with heat stroke, for example, one symptom is central nervous system dysfunction, “which just means the person is not making good decisions.” heat also makes the body sweat and lose nutrients, which play a role in self regulation and mental health. “it’s like we’re trying to run the machine using the wrong fuel, or at least using an improper balance of fuel,” taliercio said. america’s richest 10% are responsible for 40% of its planet heating pollution, new report finds dr. amruta nori sarma, an assistant professor in the environmental health department in the boston university school of public health, found in a 2022 study that many more adults went to the er for mental health conditions in hot weather. that does not suggest that people with mental health issues are angry or violent but that heat can affect person’s mental well being. “initially, i think people were a little bit surprised that we saw increased rates of emergency department visits for mental health in the summer,” nori sarma said. with seasonal affective disorder and the isolation that comes with extreme cold, some scientists expected ers to be full with mental health patients in the winter. “now, though, with what we know about violence and aggression increasing as temperatures increase, this may make more sense.” high temperatures can raise anxiety levels, nori sarma said. even anticipating higher temperatures can cause anxiety. one reason may be that people don’t sleep as well when it’s hot, and a lack of sleep can cause irritation and impaired decision making abilities. “sleep is one of the best things we can do to self regulate emotions,” taliercio said. not everyone is going to be angry, aggressive or even violent in high temperatures, he said, and everyone will have a different level at which the heat may make them more aggressive. but, he said, “irritability will pop up for many people when it is hot out.” sign up here to get the results are in with dr. sanjay gupta every tuesday from the cnn health team. as the climate warms, people may need to regularly check weather forecasts before they go out the door, taliercio said. “ask yourself: based on my own personality, do i need to be more alert to potentially being irritable today because it’s hot outside?” taliercio asked. he likened it to checking whether masks were needed this summer as canadian wildfires caused widespread air pollution. “maybe put less on the schedule when the temperatures are high, or hang out with people who irritate you less,” taliercio said. “maybe even reschedule important meetings for cooler days. with the climate crisis and temperatures rising, this is certainly something more people will have to take into account.” © 2025 cable news network. a warner bros. discovery company. all rights reserved. cnn sans ™ & © 2016 cable news network.

skip to content stephen abram's posts about library land high temperatures can make us miserable. research shows they also make us aggressive, impulsive and dull. posted on: june 20, 2024, 1:50 pm category: uncategorized comments off on how heat affects the brain high temperatures can make us miserable. research shows they also make us aggressive, impulsive and dull.

this site is made possible by member support. 💞 big thanks to arcustech for hosting the site and offering amazing tech support. when you buy through links on kottke.org, i may earn an affiliate commission. thanks for supporting the site! kottke.org. home of fine hypertext products since 1998. 🍔 💀 📸 😭 🕳️ 🤠 🎬 🥔 how heat affects our brains: it makes us dumber, irritable, impulsive, and aggressive (i.e. don’t blame me if the site sucks today, it feels like 97° here and i don’t have a/c). sort by: thread   thread . latest . faves i recently read the weight of nature, which included this very topic among other frightening developments. recommended! 97 without ac is no joke. i imagine the humidity is up there, too. sorry you're going through that. where i live (6,000 foot elevation in new mexico) at least has a much lower humidity most of the time. on the downside, though, the place i rent is about as insulated as a cardboard box. without an ac it's over 90 inside by mid afternoon. even with the power sucking window ac the owner installed, long before i moved in, there was a day last week when it couldn't cool the room it's in below 84 (it got up to 100 outside that day, which is thankfully not typical    at least not yet!). and where i sleep is on the other side of the house ... my freezer is about half full of containers of ice (somewhat counter intuitively, a full freezer needs less electricity to keep cool). while the main motivation for all that ice was to keep the energy usage down, it has also provided me with a passable solution for keeping cool(ish) on hot nights. i put one of those containers of ice near my bed with a small fan behind it. it blows enough cool air my direction to allow me to get to sleep. hello! in order to comment or fave, you need to be a current kottke.org member. if you'd like to sign up for a membership to support the site and join the conversation, you can explore your options here. existing members can sign in here. if you're a former member, you can renew your membership. note: if you are a member and tried to log in, it didn't work, and now you're stuck in a neverending login loop of death, try disabling any ad blockers or extensions that you have installed on your browser...sometimes they can interfere with the memberful links. still having trouble? email me! in order to comment or fave, you need to be a current kottke.org member. check out your options for renewal. this is the name that'll be displayed next to comments you make on kottke.org; your email will not be displayed publicly. i'd encourage you to use your real name (or at least your first name and last initial) but you can also pick something that you go by when you participate in communities online. choose something durable and reasonably unique (not "me" or "anon"). please don't change this often. no impersonation. note: i'm letting folks change their display names because the membership service that kottke.org uses collects full names and i thought some people might not want their names displayed publicly here. if it gets abused, i might disable this feature. if you feel like this comment goes against the grain of the community guidelines or is otherwise inappropriate, please let me know and i will take a look at it. hello! in order to leave a comment, you need to be a current kottke.org member. if you'd like to sign up for a membership to support the site and join the conversation, you can explore your options here. existing members can sign in here. if you're a former member, you can renew your membership. note: if you are a member and tried to log in, it didn't work, and now you're stuck in a neverending login loop of death, try disabling any ad blockers or extensions that you have installed on your browser...sometimes they can interfere with the memberful links. still having trouble? email me!

bezzy communities provide meaningful connections with others living with chronic conditions. join bezzy on the web or mobile app. can't get enough? connect with us for all things health. “rainy day blues.” “sunny disposition.” “a face like thunder.” “under the weather.” the english language is full of nods to the many ways weather can affect mood, energy, and even mental functioning. of course, your relationship to the environment likely isn’t so simple as “cold = bad” or “warm = good.” if you live in a desert climate, a chilly, breezy day could offer a nice change of pace. likewise, the hot, humid days of summer could feel downright miserable if you bike or walk to work. personal preference also has much to do with how the weather affects you. according to older research from 2011 that involved 497 adolescents and their mothers, people tend to fall into one of four categories: individual differences aside, weather and climate do affect people in a few main ways. read on to learn how weather can affect your emotions, who might be most sensitive to weather changes, and how climate change can impact mental health. weather can influence your mental health in many ways: the following weather conditions are associated with low and high mood for most people: typically, cold weather gives your body the signal to settle down and “hibernate,” resulting in less energy during the winter months. warmer temperatures can boost your energy along with your mood, but only up to the 70°f (21°c) threshold. after that, you may grow tired and feel the urge to escape the heat. sunlight also impacts energy: light tells your circadian clock to stay awake, and darkness tells your brain it’s time to rest. in other words, long, bright days can energize you. but on short or cloudy days, there’s less light to encourage you to stay awake, so you may feel groggier than usual. if you’ve ever gotten a tingly, uneasy feeling before a storm, that was likely your body sensing a drop in atmospheric pressure. a 2019 animal study suggests drops in atmospheric pressure can activate the superior vestibular nucleus (svn), a part of your brain that controls balance and perception. this study involved mice, but humans also have an svn. the study authors suggest svn may rile up your body’s stress system before a storm, making you feel on edge. circulating stress hormones can also sensitize your nerve endings, which could be why some people get chronic pain flare ups when the air pressure is low. high temperatures can also increase stress levels. older research suggests people tend to be more irritable, or even aggressive, during hotter months. research from 2018 links higher temperatures to increased agitation and anxiety. warm, sunny weather may affect brainpower by: warm weather also tends to make people more tolerant of financial risk. if you find yourself making more impulsive investments or purchases during hotter months, the weather may be one of the reasons why. it’s worth mentioning these effects only occur if you actually go outside. simply looking out of the window on a sunny day probably won’t have much impact. evidence suggests people are more likely to attempt suicide in the spring and early summer than any other season. researchers don’t know exactly why this pattern occurs, although they have a few theories: while weather changes alone likely won’t prompt someone to attempt suicide, it could serve as an additional trigger for someone already at risk. if you’re thinking about suicide, know you’re not alone. you can get free, confidential support 24/7 from trained crisis counselors by dialing 988 to reach the suicide and crisis lifeline. if you prefer text based support, just text “home” to 741 741 to reach the crisis text line. for plenty of people, weather has only a trivial effect on mental and physical health. however, for the 30% of people who live with meteoropathy, shifts in weather can cause symptoms like: these symptoms disappear when the weather improves. meteoropathy most commonly affects: meteoropathy isn’t a diagnosis in itself, but it can worsen mood symptoms. weather also has an acknowledged role in the following conditions: major depressive disorder (mdd) with a seasonal pattern, which you might know as seasonal affective disorder (sad), refers to depression symptoms that appear only during certain times of the year. most people with this type of depression experience symptoms like sadness, sleepiness, and increased appetite during the fall and winter months, but no symptoms in the spring and summer. but some people with seasonal depression have symptoms that follow the opposite pattern: the warm, sunny weather of spring and summer triggers depression symptoms, and the colder winter months bring relief. spring or summer depression symptoms may involve agitation, insomnia, and poor appetite, along with a low mood. major depression can occur at any time of year. that said, symptoms may show up more frequently during chillier weather. according to an eastern european study of nearly 7000 participants, you’re more likely to have depression symptoms: roughly 1 in 4 people with bipolar disorder report a seasonal pattern in their mood symptoms. temperature seems to serve as the key link between seasonality and bipolar symptoms. while study results vary, there’s some general consensus: episodes of depression occur more frequently in winter, and episodes of mania occur more frequently in spring and summer. research from 2020 also suggests that among people with bipolar disorder, those with a history of suicide attempts tend to have greater sensitivity to weather and more severe meteoropathy symptoms. participants with a greater number of suicide attempts had higher scores on meteoropathy screening tests. extreme weather impacts almost everyone, not just people prone to meteoropathy. according to a 2016 study, temperatures above 70°f (21°c) can: the study found that individuals in both mild climates and harsh climates had much the same reactions to heat exposure. to put it another way, as climate change increases the number of hot days each year across the united states, moving to a cooler state probably won’t protect you. research from 2017 has also linked the rising temperatures of climate change to increasing levels of violence around the globe. as temperatures get hotter, stress, impulsivity, and aggression rise. droughts and crop shortages can also cause more competition for resources. increased stress, aggression, and impulsivity may then play a part in more frequent collective violence, like riots and civil wars. but they can also factor into interpersonal violence, which could include assault, homicide, or sexual assault. one theory suggests temperature changes that affect everyday activities can heighten tension and contribute to interpersonal conflict, which can affect interactions with strangers, partners, and loved ones. climate change doesn’t only affect temperatures. it has also increased the rate of extreme weather events (ewes), such as floods, hurricanes, and wildfires. these events can disrupt your life significantly and may cause mental health symptoms. according to a 2020 review including 17 studies where participants had experienced an ewe in the past 12 months, children’s mental health is particularly vulnerable after ewes. up to 71% of child survivors of natural disasters develop post traumatic stress symptoms. even people not directly exposed to ewes may feel anxious hearing about them. for some people, the existential threat of climate change can cause a sense of dread and hopelessness called eco anxiety. as climate change has accelerated, eco anxiety has become more common, especially among younger generations who will have to deal with the long term effects. you can’t change the weather, but you can take steps to ease its effects on your well being. if you suspect you might be sensitive to weather changes, consider these tips: meteoropathy typically lasts for a few days at most and will disappear once the weather improves. these symptoms can feel annoying or uncomfortable, but they generally won’t completely derail your everyday routine. that said, it never hurts to check in with a healthcare professional if the weather seems to have an ongoing impact on your mood. they can help rule out any underlying conditions and offer more guidance on treatment options. if any mental health symptoms you experience do last more than a day or so, or keep you from doing the things you usually would, you may want to connect with a professional for more support. here’s how to find the right therapist. if weather changes seem to trigger mental health symptoms for you, potential treatment options might include: your care team can offer more guidance in finding the right treatment for your needs. certain medications can make you more sensitive to weather changes. for example, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (ssris), a common type of antidepressant, can raise your risk of dehydration and heat stroke. people who take ssris are 17% more likely to get hospitalized for heat related illness than the general population. if you have concerns about any potential side effects of your medication, the clinician who prescribed it can answer your questions and offer guidance on alternate treatment options. while the weather has only a subtle impact on mood, energy, and cognition for many people, nearly a third of the population is highly sensitive to atmospheric changes. what’s more, climate change has increased the frequency of extreme weather events, leaving more people vulnerable to ptsd, depression, and anxiety related to natural disasters. working with a therapist to address your symptoms can have benefits on a personal level   but large scale efforts to combat climate change may do more to help prevent weather related traumas from happening in the first place. emily swaim is a freelance health writer and editor who specializes in psychology. she has a ba in english from kenyon college and an mfa in writing from california college of the arts. in 2021, she received her board of editors in life sciences (bels) certification. you can find more of her work on goodtherapy, verywell, investopedia, vox, and insider. find her on twitter and linkedin. share this article days of downpour can leave you gloomy, sure, but can rain actually cause depression? get the details on the link between the two, plus tips to cope. it's not uncommon to experience side effects in the first few weeks of taking a new antidepressant. here's what to look out for. sertraline is often among the preferred antidepressants to take when breastfeeding. learn more. as holiday festivities fade into the rearview, these lesser known tips can help you navigate the january blues and seasonal depression. a new study suggests walking at least 5,000 steps per day can help reduce depression symptoms. when step counts reached at least 7,500 per day… if your ssri is not working for you after an adequate trial period, your doctor may recommend an snri. switching antidepressants takes a little bit of strategy. here's what you need to know. it can take a few weeks for new antidepressants to begin working, but sometimes the symptoms you're experiencing have to do with the dosage being too… our brands

response center: stay informed about apa/apasi’s response to recent federal policy changes affecting psychology explore how scientific research by psychologists can inform our professional lives, family and community relationships, emotional wellness, and more. top 10 trends to watch notable changes and developments are poised to influence the field of psychology in profound ways barriers to care in a changing practice environment psychologists face challenges with capacity, insurance, and the future of mental health care apa publishing products and resources that support research, education, practice and general wellbeing. tools for psychologists to do their jobs every day. artificial intelligence: redefining the future of psychology adam leventhal uses policy focused research to address addiction resources for students, teachers and psychologists at all levels to explore career growth in psychology. careers in media psychology science training sessions browse the latest updates from apa, informed by psychological science. optimism can boost saving, especially for lower income individuals parental favoritism isn’t a myth you can make a difference learn about key issues impacting psychologists today policy and infrastructure changes are urgently needed to protect our mental health from the impact of high temperatures vol. 55 no. 4 print version: page 42 temperatures are rising as summer kicks off, and psychological scientists are sounding the alarm on what to be aware of in warmer temperatures. it remains to be seen whether summer 2024 breaks the records of last summer: in the united states, heat domes baked the midwest; el paso, texas, saw weeks without a day below 100°f; and tampa bay, florida, issued its first extreme heat advisory. in november 2023, phoenix reported that at least 569 people had died because of heat related reasons over the summer. extreme heat days are an inevitable consequence of a warming world, and things are not cooling down. globally, 2023 was the hottest year on record, and the met office the united kingdom’s national weather service predicts that 2024 may be worse. it could even be the first year on record to surpass 1.5°c of warming above the preindustrial era. the physical consequences of heat, such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion, are well known. but heat has psychological consequences as well consequences ranging from irritability to impulsivity to trouble concentrating. the impacts can put already vulnerable people in crisis during heat waves but may also lead to general mental health impacts and increased friction within society. a 2023 report by apa and ecoamerica on children and youth and climate change found that young people are particularly at risk, given the potential impact of heat related mental health effects on developing brains (clayton, s., et al., mental health and our changing climate: children and youth report, 2023). “extreme heat can make people more depressed or irritable, it can bring on psychotic outbreaks, and people on certain psychiatric medications are more sensitive to heat,” said jane gilbert, the world’s first chief heat officer, a government position established in 2021 in miami dade county. gilbert is one of several local level policymakers around the country dedicated full time to handling the fallout from extreme heat. as municipalities try to deal with this consequence of climate change, psychologists are simultaneously working to understand the ways in which heat affects people’s moods, behaviors, and cognition. as they unravel the scope of the damage, they’re becoming increasingly vocal about the need to respond. “the way we are headed right now, things are only going to get worse,” said kim meidenbauer, phd, an assistant professor of psychology at washington state university who studies the effect of heat stress and other environmental factors on cognition and emotion. “if we don’t even understand the scope of the effect heat is having on us, that bodes poorly for our ability to protect people from the negative psychological consequences.” [related: how does climate change affect mental health?] the most immediate dangers from heat are physical. when the body loses too much water and salt via sweat, the result is heat exhaustion, marked by dizziness, clammy skin, and a rapid pulse. untreated heat exhaustion can rapidly progress to heat stroke, which happens when the body’s cooling system completely breaks down, leading to a catastrophic rise in internal body temperature. this hyperthermia is very hard on the brain: between 10% and 28% of heat stroke survivors experience persistent brain damage, according to a 2022 review (bouchama, a., et al., nature reviews, vol. 8, 2022). almost all psychotropic medications, except for benzodiazepines, can impair the body’s ability to handle heat, raising the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. “one sixth of americans are on these medications,” said joseph taliercio, phd, a clinical psychologist at cognitive & behavioral consultants in new york who is also active in the joint advocacy and outreach committee of the climate psychiatry alliance and in the climate psychology alliance north america. though the medication labeling mentions this side effect, not all patients are specifically warned by their doctors about the risk. heat stroke is an extremely serious condition that can kill nearly two thirds of those who experience it during heat waves, according to the 2022 review. but less deadly consequences of heat can also be far reaching. heat seems to exacerbate mental health symptoms across many diagnoses (charlson, f., et al., international journal of environmental research and public health, vol. 18, no. 9, 2021). a u.s. study of mental health related emergency department visits found an 8% increase in mental health visits on the hottest days of summer compared with the coolest days. the increase ranged from 5% to 11% across different disorders (nori sarma, a., et al., jama psychiatry, vol. 79, no. 4, 2022). specific mental health conditions exacerbated by heat included substance use disorders, anxiety and stress related disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia and related disorders, self harm, and childhood behavioral disorders. the most affected regions were the northeast, midwest, and northwest, the researchers found, perhaps indicating the dangers of at home heat stress; these areas are less likely than the south to have housing with air conditioning built in. those findings probably represent just a small segment of those whose mental health is affected by heat, said study leader amruta nori sarma, phd, an assistant professor of environmental health at the boston university school of public health. “we’re only looking at emergency department visits, so we’re only looking at the most extreme presentations,” nori sarma said. “there might be a lot of other people who see a primary care physician or a mental health provider. or there might be a lot of people who are having symptoms who will never come into contact with the medical system.” just as heat waves are physically dangerous to older adults, mental health symptoms linked to heat seem to hit this population hard, according to a recent systematic review and meta analysis led by jingwen liu of the university of adelaide school of public health. that review found a 2.2% increase in mental health related mortality and 0.9% increase in mental health morbidity associated with every 1.8°f rise in ambient temperature (environment international, vol. 153, 2021). the greatest mortality overall was among those with substance use disorders. people living in subtropical and tropical environments and people over the age of 65 were also disproportionately affected. though seasonal mood problems are mostly associated with winter, there is also a subset of people who struggle with summer related major depression. “it’s understudied,” said kelly rohan, phd, a clinical psychologist at the university of vermont who studies seasonal affective disorder (sad). summer related depression appears far less common than winter sad, which is linked to short daylength in the winter months. instead, it seems tied to people’s experiences of heat and humidity, rohan said. “some of the same neurotransmitters, like norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin, that are involved in mood regulation are also involved in thermoregulation,” she said, “so maybe there is some dysfunction in one or more of those neurotransmitter systems that confers a risk of depression as well as the inability to tolerate heat and humidity.” there may also be a behavioral or cognitive component to summer depression, rohan said, as people who can’t stand the heat might isolate themselves at home or fall into a spiral of dread about the long, steamy summer months. summer type sad differs from winter sad in that people with winter sad tend to report weight gain, food cravings, and sleeping too much, while people with the summer version of the disorder tend to report weight loss, loss of appetite, and insomnia. there is no specific treatment for summer depression, rohan said, though it likely responds to antidepressants and therapy in the same way as typical major depressive disorder. [related: 4 tips for protecting your mental health this summer] heat has also been linked to changes in behavior and cognition. criminal justice researchers have long noted correlations between warm weather and crime, a link that may be due to activity and opportunity. a recent study that examined the relationship between large temperature swings and crime in 28 u.s. cities found that unexpectedly warm days yielded a 4% increase in robberies, a 9.4% increase in aggravated assaults, and a 19.4% increase in homicides compared with the average (thomas, c., & wolff, k. t., journal of criminal justice, vol. 87, 2023). unusually cool days had lower incidences than average of all three types of crime. though studies of crime have often focused on summer, the research found that unseasonably warm days in winter saw unusual increases in robberies and homicides. this finding suggests that people’s routines may play a large role in these temperature dependent crime spikes, the authors wrote, since people are more likely to be out on warmer days, increasing the opportunities for crime and conflict. there are mixed laboratory results as to whether heat leads directly to aggression. craig anderson, phd, a psychologist at iowa state university, has found evidence that people may interpret ambiguous interactions as more aggressive in hot temperatures (advances in experimental social psychology, vol. 32, 2000). “when you perceive other people behaving more aggressively, that increases the likelihood that you’ll see yourself as being provoked and responding in a more hostile manner,” anderson said. heat could potentially stymie decision making and provoke irritability by disrupting sleep, by causing discomfort, or simply by increasing the load on the brain as it struggles to work in less than ideal circumstances. a recent economic decision making experiment run in california and nairobi suggests that the real world impacts may be subtle and complex. in that study, researchers found that hot conditions made participants more likely to decide to destroy the assets of other players in a game a choice that held no benefit for themselves (almås, i., et al., nber working paper 25785, 2023). this effect was driven, however, by a subset of players in nairobi who were part of an ethnic group that had recently been politically marginalized in a highly contested election. “our study provides new evidence that thermal stress and the political context together might be jointly responsible for generating observed patterns of violence through a mechanism embedded in the human mind,” the researchers wrote. though it can be difficult to isolate the effect of temperature alone in real world studies, recent research also indicates that heat exposure may increase self reported impulsivity. in a study spanning several chicago neighborhoods, meidenbauer and her team asked participants to report their heat exposure as well as their levels of impulsivity and other traits and found that experiencing heat was linked to higher self reported impulsivity. “being exposed to heat stress in one’s home in particular was robustly related to whether participants reported themselves as being more impulsive,” meidenbauer said (psyarxiv preprints, 2023). exposure to the urban heat effect in which concrete and asphalt hang on to heat, raising temperatures in cities compared with greener surroundings was also linked to self reported impulsivity, the researchers found, though less strongly. it’s possible that access to air conditioning somewhat mitigates the urban heat effect, meidenbauer said, but that those without the resources for sufficient cooling at home have little escape from the heat. a boston university study of 115 u.s. metro areas found that homes in dense urban cores are less likely than homes in other areas to be air conditioned (romitti, y., et al., pnas nexus, vol. 1, no. 4, 2022). the likelihood of a given home having air conditioning was inversely correlated with the percentage of people in the neighborhood who identified as black, african american, hispanic, or latino. and areas with low median income and high percentages of residents without high school degrees were also least likely to have air conditioned homes. heat stress is also linked to problems with cognition. in one within subjects study conducted in shanghai, 36 healthy participants were set up at workstations and exposed to temperatures ranging from 75.2°f to 82.4°f. their physiological responses were regularly recorded as they worked through a series of standard office tasks like typing and doing basic arithmetic. across almost all tasks, cognitive performance declined as the workers experienced hotter temperatures, with cognitive performance decreasing by up to 10% at the hotter temperatures compared with the coolest (lan, l., et al., indoor air, vol. 32, no. 1, 2022). an actual heat wave provided an opportunity for experimentation in 2016, when 44 students in boston area buildings were followed for 12 days of summer swelter. about half the students lived in air conditioned buildings, while the other half did not have air conditioning. each morning, the students did two cognitive tasks, a stroop color word test and a simple addition and subtraction game. their performance results showed that those without air conditioning took 13% longer to respond on both tasks (laurent, j. g. c., et al., plos medicine, vol. 15, no. 7, 2018). large scale population studies reveal how these cognitive effects may play out in the educational system. an analysis of standardized testing data from 58 countries and 12,000 u.s. school districts found that each school day above 80°f was associated with reduced achievement by 0.07% of a standard deviation (park, r. j., et al., nature human behaviour, vol. 5, 2021). the effect was largely driven by poorer schools, with hot school days associated with reduced achievement by 0.12% of a standard deviation in low income school districts and no significant reduction in high income districts. in places like florida, where all schools have air conditioning, heat stress on students at school is a less pressing problem than home heat stress, gilbert said. low income families may have inadequate air conditioning or may not be able to afford to cool their homes sufficiently, meaning students are often exposed to heat at home. but in places that were largely temperate before the climate started warming, many school buildings lack cooling. one such city is watsonville, california, an agricultural city in central california of about 50,000 people. the rising temperatures there are starting to affect students, said nancy faulstich, a former educator and the founder of the local climate justice nonprofit regeneración. “we did a survey in 2017, and one of the comments in the survey was from a high school teacher who was monitoring temperature in the classroom,” faulstich said. “he said it was over 95 degrees for days in a row, at times over 100 when you’ve got 28 to 34 high school students crowded in a classroom and it’s 100 degrees in there, how can you learn?” for local governments, heat mitigation is one of the primary ways to attempt to soften the psychological impacts of heat. “when you cool down a neighborhood, it benefits your physical and your emotional health,” said ali frazzini, a policy adviser with a background in public health at the l.a. county chief sustainability office. policies range from those directed toward individuals, such as making public service announcements and maintaining cooling centers in the summer, to those focused on making city infrastructure more climate resilient, such as planting trees and installing green infrastructure. because of the known socioeconomic disparities in heat impacts, many of these policies are focused on those who are financially precarious, gilbert said. “it’s gotten cost prohibitive for many households to keep their homes cool,” gilbert said. “or if the wall unit breaks down in july and they can’t afford to replace it or the landlord doesn’t fix it, they can be in a dangerous situation.” miami dade county has a financial assistance program for low income residents and maintains a list of resources for florida incentives and rebates for energy savings and home cooling. the county’s homes plan, a housing affordability initiative announced in 2022, includes $7 million for retrofitting and weatherizing older homes and includes requirements that new construction funded by the county include cool roofs light colored roofs made with materials that reflect instead of absorb heat, which can reduce cooling costs considerably. the city is also focused on improvements to the power grid, especially since hurricanes can leave residents sweltering without electricity for days or weeks. in los angeles, city planners are looking at cool surfaces, such as roads coated with heat reflecting materials, and other strategies to reduce the urban heat effect, frazzini said. “right now, one of our big areas of focus is just increasing the tree canopy,” which can provide shade and mitigate temperature spikes, she said. “many of our most vulnerable neighborhoods have poor tree canopy.” across the united states, the link between poverty and vulnerability to heat comes up repeatedly. in meidenbauer’s analysis of chicago’s neighborhoods, people reporting high economic hardship were also likely to live in areas impacted the most by the urban heat effect. in miami, data from heat related hospital visits also show disparities. “we have zip codes that have 4 to 5 times the rates of heat related illness compared to other zip codes,” gilbert said. “the top correlating factors are high poverty rates, high land surface temperatures, families with children, and a high percentage of outdoor workers.” unhoused individuals are also at high risk during heat waves, gilbert said. not only is it difficult for people without shelter to escape the heat of the day, many people who are unhoused also have mental health diagnoses that may be exacerbated by heat. these disparities aren’t limited to urban areas. in watsonville, tree cover is at only about 8%, faulstich said, and much of the housing stock for agricultural workers is in poor condition without sufficient cooling. the city is working with the nonprofit conservation organization watsonville wetlands watch to develop a 40 year plan for sustainable tree cover in the city, with a goal of eventually reaching 30% canopy. heat doesn’t happen in a vacuum. with heat comes drought, and with drought comes wildfire, which can lower air quality. pollution is also linked with both mood and cognition problems. one study in china that used portable monitors to measure participants’ exposure to air pollution in real time found that exposure to fine particulate matter (p.m. 2.5) impaired executive control on cognitive tasks (ke, l., et al., environment international, vol. 170, 2022). in a longitudinal population study in sweden, exposure to fine particulates was linked to cognitive decline in adults over the age of 80 (grande, g., et al., journal of alzheimer’s disease, vol. 80, no. 2, 2021). and a meta analysis of studies between 1974 and 2017 found that particulate exposure was linked to depression, anxiety, and suicide (braithwaite, i., et al., environmental health perspectives, vol. 127, no. 12, 2019). [related: extreme heat and poor air quality are threatening childrens’ mental health] researchers also worry about the knock on effects of mass migrations caused by climate change, which have the potential to increase intergroup conflict. climate refugees, especially children, experience stressors that are well known to impact mental health and cognition, anderson said. and large scale migration can lead to political conflict and violence that further impact those involved. according to the un refugee agency, 110 million people are currently displaced around the globe because of persecution, conflict, and violence, a number that has steadily risen from about 32.3 million in 2008. “the proportion of the world’s population that is exposed to a number of these risk factors is going to increase,” anderson said. “in fact, it already has increased.” the good news, anderson said, is that psychological research on heat, mental health, and violence is starting to get more traction outside of psychology: “it’s only recently that we’ve started publishing [heat research] in climate change journals,” he said. there are still urgent questions that psychologists need to answer, meidenbauer said. she and her team are looking at how uncomfortable, but not dangerous, levels of heat might affect cognition. they’re also interested in trying to unravel individual differences in heat tolerance. people report becoming uncomfortable in heat at very different temperatures, she said, and it’s a combination of warmth and discomfort that seems to cause psychological symptoms. there is also a dearth of research on ways to reduce the negative impacts of heat, and that needs to change quickly, she said. “knowing that it’s only going to get worse from here,” she said, “really emphasizes the importance of understanding the effects so that we can intervene.” mental health and our changing climate: children and youth report 2023 apa and ecoamerica, 2023 mental health and psychosocial interventions in the context of climate change: a scoping review xue, s., et al., npj mental health research, 2024 climate change, fossil fuel pollution, and children’s health perera, f., & nadeau, k., new england journal of medicine, 2022 promoting protection against a threat that evokes positive affect: the case of heat waves in the united kingdom bruine de bruin, w., et al., journal of experimental psychology: applied, 2016 the apa monitor on psychology® sister e newsletter offers fresh articles on psychology trends, new research, and more. welcome! thank you for subscribing. apple spotify © 2025 american psychological association 750 first st. ne, washington, dc 20002 4242 telephone: (800) 374 2721; (202) 336 5500 | tdd/tty: (202) 336 6123

supported by we asked experts if alcohol can cause anxiety to spike and what you can do about it. by christina caron could medications like ozempic benefit the brain? here’s what scientists are learning. by dana g. smith and dani blum here’s how getting on a roll can help you achieve your goals. by nell mcshane wulfhart i was taught to seize the workday. he prefers a nap. by lori gottlieb a new study found that u.s. infant mortality rates overall are dropping, but that rates of sudden unexpected infant death may have increased in recent years. by catherine pearson and how to actually get better rest, according to experts. by katie mogg the thich nhat hanh classic is celebrating its 50th year in circulation. it also taught me to be ok with life’s uncertainties. by stefano montali well’s new ask the therapist columnist, lori gottlieb, helps a reader who is sick of being her mother’s dumping ground. by lori gottlieb in a new essay collection, the influencer couple shane and hannah burcaw 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agree & join linkedin by clicking continue to join or sign in, you agree to linkedin’s user agreement, privacy policy, and cookie policy. pioneer in dementia coaching and creator of the first business model of dementia care; i am a master dementia coach, dementia innovator, author, keynote speaker. visit me at icacares.com/ how heat affects the brain high temperatures can make us miserable. research shows they also make us aggressive, impulsive and dull. jose guillermo cedeño laurent, a harvard researcher at the time, decided to take advantage of this natural experiment to see how heat, and especially heat at night, affected the young adults’ cognitive performance. he had 44 students perform math and self control tests five days before the temperature rose, every day during the heat wave, and two days after... it turns out even young, healthy college students are affected by high temperatures. during the hottest days, the students in the un air conditioned dorms, where nighttime temperatures averaged 79 degrees, performed significantly worse on the tests they took every morning than the students with a.c., whose rooms stayed a pleasant 71 degrees... ... but heat also takes a toll on our brains, impairing cognition and making us irritable, impulsive and aggressive. how heat hurts our cognition   numerous studies in lab settings have produced similar results to dr. cedeño’s research, with scores on cognitive tests falling as scientists raised the temperature in the room. one investigation found that just a four degree increase   which participants described as still feeling comfortable   led to a 10 percent average drop in performance across tests of memory, reaction time and executive functioning... in another study, dr. park found that the more hotter than average days there were during the school year, the worse students did on a standardized test   especially when the thermometer climbed above 80 degrees... why heat makes us aggressive   researchers first discovered the link between heat and aggression by looking at crime data, finding that there are more murders, assaults and episodes of domestic violence on hot days... when temperatures rise, people are more likely to engage in hate speech online and honk their horns in traffic... kimberly meidenbauer, an assistant professor of psychology at washington state university, thinks this increase in reactive aggression may be related to heat’s effect on cognition, particularly the dip in self control.. what’s happening in the brain   researchers don’t know why heat affects our cognition and emotions, but there are a couple of theories. one is that the brain’s resources are being diverted to keep you cool,... heat’s effect on sleep could play a role, too. in the boston study, the hotter it got, the more students’ sleep was disrupted   and the worse they performed on the tests. the best way to offset these effects is to cool yourself off, as soon as possible. if you don’t have access to air conditioning, fans can help, and be sure to stay hydrated... credit: dana g. smith, the new york times source: https://lnkd.in/gufhvhcy explorer, md, phd | physician, scientist, clinical informatics, ai, ml | cmo, vp, board member, consultant, dementia & dei health trauma medicine (surgery) is all folkloric speculation, really people will do any voodoo to keep even one level 1 trauma away. at level 1 trauma centers trauma workers often are not allowed to take vacation in the summer, trauma volume is off the charts. gang warfare kids are literally too hot at home and take to the street at night (with their guns) people believe the rain keeps traumas away, me included... optimising team performance and profitability   with immediately actionable remote diagnostics especially relevant to brits this week.