As the world endures what could turn out to be the hottest summer on record, it is reckoning with the myriad impacts of that extreme heat. At the same time, a lesser-known consequence is coming into view: its effect on the brain.
There is a growing body of evidence that high temperatures, which are being made more likely and pushed higher by climate change, can take a toll on our brains in numerous ways, affecting students’ test performances, reducing worker productivity and making some of us more irritated and aggressive.
Worryingly for Japan and its rapidly aging population, some of the new findings highlight the effects of heat on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.