Climate trauma from wildfire exposure impacts cognitive decision-making
Jason Nan1,2, Satish Jaiswal3, Dhakshin Ramanathan3,4,5,6
1Neural Engineering and Translation Labs (NEATLabs), University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0737, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA. janan@ucsd.edu.
Scientific Reports
|April 16, 2025
Summary
Climate trauma from wildfires significantly impairs decision-making and alters brain activity. This neuro-cognitive impact, particularly reduced Win-Stay behavior, highlights potential biomarkers for mental health interventions in affected communities.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Climate trauma, a consequence of climate disasters, is linked to anxiety and depression.
- Previous research identified mental health impacts following the 2018 California Camp Fire wildfire.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of climate trauma on cognitive decision-making and its neural underpinnings.
- To explore neuro-cognitive correlates of climate trauma one year after a wildfire event.
Main Methods:
- Recruited directly exposed (n=27), indirectly exposed (n=21), and non-exposed (n=27) groups one year post-wildfire.
- Administered a decision-making task with simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) recordings.
- Evaluated Win-Stay behavior and analyzed EEG for neural correlates.
Main Results:
- Directly exposed individuals exhibited significantly reduced Win-Stay behavior compared to control groups.
- EEG data revealed greater parietal alpha activity associated with choices and rewards in the directly exposed group.
- This increased alpha activity was localized to the posterior cingulate cortex.
Conclusions:
- Climate trauma significantly impacts neuro-cognitive processing, specifically in value-based decision-making.
- Altered decision-making and neural activity patterns may serve as biomarkers for mental health interventions.
- Findings underscore the long-term cognitive consequences of climate disasters on affected populations.
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