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Extreme Heat Exposure is Associated with Lower Learning, General Cognitive Ability, and Memory among US Children
Shervin Assari1,2,3,4, Hossein Zare5,6
1Department of Internal Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
Open Journal of Neuroscience
|March 3, 2025
Summary
Extreme heat due to climate change negatively impacts children's cognitive abilities, especially learning and general cognitive skills. This research highlights the need for interventions to protect vulnerable children from heat-related cognitive risks.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Neuroscience
- Child Development
Background:
- Extreme heat exposure, a consequence of climate change, poses significant public health risks.
- While heat's health impacts are known, its effects on children's cognitive function are understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between extreme heat exposure and cognitive function in children.
- To identify specific cognitive domains affected by heat exposure in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, including 11,878 children.
- Employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze associations between heatwave exposure and cognitive measures.
- Controlled for demographic factors, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES).
Main Results:
- Significant negative associations were found between extreme heat exposure and multiple cognitive domains.
- Strongest effects observed in pattern recognition, reading ability, total composite cognitive ability, fluid composite, and crystallized intelligence.
- Weaker, yet significant, associations noted for list recall, card sorting, and picture vocabulary.
Conclusions:
- Extreme heat exposure contributes to cognitive function disparities in children, particularly affecting learning and general cognitive abilities.
- Findings emphasize the urgent need for interventions to mitigate cognitive risks from heat exposure in vulnerable child populations.
- Highlights the intersection of climate change, public health, and child cognitive development.
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