As the world warms, climate change worsens neurological and mental health disorders: Study | Health

As the world warms, conditions such as dementia, epilepsy, and depression are likely to spread and become more severe. In a study published Wednesday, researchers at University College London analyzed neuroscience literature to determine how extreme heat and climate change disasters affect major neurological and mental health disorders. revealed. They found that environmental factors not only influence disease morbidity but can also increase the risk of associated hospitalization, disability, and even death.

The effects of climate change on health are well studied, particularly with regard to infectious and respiratory diseases. However, it also has a negative impact on neurological health, and the body’s thermoregulatory processes appear to be a major factor in the exacerbation of symptoms caused by extreme heat.

Professor Sanjay Sisodia, from UCL’s Queen Square Institute of Neurology, who led the study, said: “To function properly, the brain needs to be kept within a relatively narrow temperature range.” “When you have a disease in the brain, the brain’s ability to regulate temperature is impaired. If you expose people with neurological conditions to extreme heat waves, you can see how this can make neurological conditions worse. .”

More research is needed into the exact mechanism linking neurological damage and elevated body temperature, Sisodhya added. As extreme weather events worsen and become more common, unraveling the precise connections becomes increasingly important, especially for the youngest, oldest and most vulnerable populations.

For a new study, researchers looked at environmental influences on 19 neurological diseases that are associated with the most serious diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, migraines, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and meningitis. We reviewed 332 reports investigated. We also collected studies on depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia, as psychiatric disorders often coexist with neurological disorders. The findings show that weather affects each disease differently, but that most diseases are broadly associated with increased morbidity and worsening of symptoms.

Among their findings: People with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are better able to make adaptive choices in extreme heat, such as asking for help, wearing less clothing, and drinking more water. It includes what you are struggling with. Hotter weather is more likely to cause fatal or disabling strokes and can affect epilepsy, which is exacerbated by sleep deprivation. High temperatures at night are a feature of climate change and can affect sleep patterns. (The study also found that extreme cold can also have negative health effects.)

The incidence of mental health disorders with risk of hospitalization and death was most strongly associated with increased ambient temperature. A report examined in a new study showed that between 2010 and 2019, U.S. health insurance claims for mental health-related emergency room visits increased on hot days. Extreme weather events such as storms and wildfires can cause acute symptoms such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress, depression, and suicidal thoughts.

Brusin Ikizu, a neuroscientist who studies the effects of environmental patterns on the brain, says the brain’s response to a warming climate is causing damage that may go undetected long before medical interventions have an effect. He said there is. When fevers rise, “our brains go into a stress response,” which can cause inflammation and other forms of degeneration, which can affect cognitive health, she said.

“What scares me the most about this scenario is that not only will there be an explosion of people suffering from neurological diseases by 2050, but also that our brains will be exposed to different types of stress, such as heat, and that will be the case in our 70s. , Pollution, Microplastics, and Founder of the International Neuroclimate Working Group, an initiative that promotes further research and advocacy on the threats of climate change to the brain. Chairman Ikizu added.

Sisodiya and Ikizu called for more research and policy interventions to reduce the economic burden of climate change on individuals and public health systems, especially in poorer countries. But as the world faces another record heatwave, individuals can also take steps to protect themselves from the heatwave.

“We need to stop burning fossil fuels and stop releasing emissions into the atmosphere,” Sisodiya said. “But beyond that, we need to make sure that weather warnings are relevant and informative, that people can act on them, and that they can help people with simple things like staying out of the sun during peak exposure times and keeping windows and shutters closed. You can make sure that you can take steps to: use things to keep you cool and hydrated; [and having] Adequate drug supply. ”

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