summary: Climate change poses a significant threat to individuals with brain diseases. Extreme temperatures, sleep deprivation due to warm nights, and adverse weather conditions can exacerbate neurological and psychiatric disorders and increase hospitalization and mortality rates.
Researchers are calling for urgent action to protect vulnerable populations and reduce the effects of climate change on brain health.
Important facts:
- Climate change has negative effects on a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
- Extreme temperatures and weather events can worsen symptoms and increase mortality.
- Urgent action is needed to protect people with brain diseases from the effects of climate change.
sauce: UCL
Climate change and its impact on weather patterns and severe weather events is likely to have a negative impact on the health of people with brain diseases, a UCL-led research team claims.
In an article of personal opinion published in of lancet neurologyThe team highlights the urgent need to understand the impact of climate change on neurological diseases to protect the health of people with neurological diseases and prevent worsening inequalities.
After reviewing 332 papers published around the world between 1968 and 2023, a research team led by Professor Sanjay Sisodiya (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) concluded that the potential of climate change for neurological diseases He said he expected the scale of the impact to be substantial. .
They looked at 19 different neurological diseases, selected based on the 2016 Global Burden of Disease Study, including stroke, migraine, Alzheimer’s disease, meningitis, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis.
The researchers also analyzed the effects of climate change on several serious but common mental illnesses, including anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.
Professor Sisodiya, who is also Head of Genomics at the Epilepsy Society and a founding member of Epilepsy Climate Change, said: “There is clear evidence for the impact of climate on some brain diseases, particularly stroke and infections of the nervous system.” .
“Climate change that has been shown to impact brain disease includes extreme temperatures (both cold and hot) and larger temperature changes throughout the day, especially when these measures are seasonally abnormal. It is included.
“Nighttime temperature is especially important because high nighttime temperatures can disrupt sleep. Sleep deprivation is known to worsen many brain conditions.”
Researchers found that hospitalization, disability and death rates from stroke increase during rising temperatures and heat waves.
Meanwhile, the researchers found that people with dementia may be more susceptible to extreme temperature changes (such as heat-related illnesses or hypothermia), as their cognitive impairment may limit their ability to adapt their behavior to changes in the environment. It says it is vulnerable to damage from weather events (such as floods and wildfires).
They wrote: “Decreased risk awareness is combined with a decreased ability to seek help and reduce potential harm, such as drinking more alcohol and adjusting clothing in hot weather.
“This susceptibility is further exacerbated by frailty, multimorbidity, and psychotropic medications. Therefore, greater temperature fluctuations, hotter days, and sustained heat waves can reduce dementia-related hospitalizations and mortality. will increase.”
Additionally, the incidence of many mental health disorders, hospitalization, and mortality risk are associated with increased ambient temperature, daily temperature fluctuations, or extreme hot or cold temperatures.
As the severity of severe weather increases and global temperatures rise, the researchers said, some of the environmental factors they considered as part of their analysis may not have been severe enough to influence brain conditions. It points out that people are being exposed to worsening conditions.
As a result, they say it’s important to ensure research is up-to-date and considers not only the current state of climate change, but also the future.
Professor Sisodiya said: “This effort is being undertaken in response to alarmingly worsening climate conditions, and we need to remain agile and dynamic to generate information that is useful to both individuals and organizations.” Ta.
“Furthermore, few studies have estimated the health impacts of brain diseases under future climate scenarios, making it difficult to plan for the future.”
He added: “The whole concept of climate anxiety has additional and potentially significant implications. Many brain diseases are associated with a higher risk of mental illness, including anxiety; “Complex diseases can further complicate the impacts of climate change and the adaptations needed to sustain the environment.” health. But there are actions we can and should take right now. ”
New articles will be published first The Hot Brain 2: Climate change and brain health The event will be led by Professor Sisodiya and co-hosted by UCL and Lancet Neurology.
The purpose of the conference is to raise awareness of the risks of climate change to the brain and neurohealth, foster global collaboration, promote action on climate change, and promote adaptation strategies.
Funding: The study was funded by the Epilepsy Society and the National Brain Appeal Innovation Fund.
About this brain health and climate change research news
author: poppy grave
sauce: UCL
contact: Poppy’s Grave – UCL
image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original research: Closed access.
“Climate change and nervous system disordersWritten by Sanjay Sisodiya et al. lancet neurology
abstract
Climate change and nervous system disorders
Anthropogenic climate change is impacting people’s health, including people with neurological and mental illnesses.
Inferences about the effects of climate change on neurological and psychiatric diseases are currently hampered by an overall paucity of data, disparate study methods, lack of detail regarding disease subtypes, and individual and population genetics. This is extremely difficult because the influence of science is rarely taken into account, and because it differs greatly. Geographic location that may be affected locally.
However, there is evidence that the incidence, prevalence, and severity of many neurological diseases (such as stroke, neurological infections, and some mental health disorders) may be affected by climate change. .
The data shows widespread and complex negative impacts, particularly from extreme temperatures and wide diurnal temperature fluctuations that people are not accustomed to.
Local predictions may enable protective measures. Few studies predict the future effects of climate change on brain health and inform policy development.
Robust research on the threat of climate change to people living with or at risk of developing neurological disorders is urgently needed.
