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- A systematic review that examined the impact of rising ambient temperatures on people with neurological disorders has provided a step towards understanding the effects global warming may have on brain health.
- Patients with neurological disorders experienced worsening symptoms and higher mortality rates due to elevated ambient temperatures.
- The study also compared the incidence of neurological disorders in migrants to assess the potential effect of climate-related migration upon brain health.
- Migration had a variable impact on neurological disorders, but socioeconomic, cultural, as well as genetic factors all played a role in the incidence of these disorders.
According to a joint EditorialClimate change was published in over 200 medical journals this year.
Major public health organizations such as the
Climate change refers to rising temperatures, rising sea levels and an increase in extreme weather events like flooding, droughts and hurricanes.
Climate change is possible
The health effects that climate change has on our health are complex and poorly understood. Importantto assist medical professionals in providing the best care.
A recent systematic review sought to identify the effects of global climate change on neurological disorders. The study examined previous research that looked at the effects of temperature rises on major neurological disorders, including their clinical manifestations and death.
Climate change could make certain areas of the globe uninhabitable because of rising temperatures, drought, and other extreme weather events. This could lead to mass displacement of people. Environment refugees.
The study also examined research that assessed the occurrences of neurological disorders among migrant populations in order to understand the potential effect on the brain health and mental health of climate-related refugees.
The study concluded that global warming could cause an increase in the ambient temperature, which may lead to worsening neurological symptoms and higher mortality rates.
The effects of migration on the occurrence and severity of neurological disorders were more complex and were also affected by economic, social, and cultural factors.
The authors cautioned, however, that these results were preliminary and that the analyzed studies didn’t specifically aim to evaluate climate change’s impact on neurological disorders or clinical practice.
The study’s lead author, Daniel KondziellaProfessor at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, said Medical News Today:
“[This study shows that]There are many reasons to expect a significant negative impact on global brain health in the near future due to climate change. […] At the same time, there appears to be a fundamental lack of awareness of this problem within the neurological community, as evidenced by the complete absence of appropriately designed research to investigate this problem.”
The journal publishes the study. PeerJ.
The team behind this study reviewed existing research on the effects of global warming upon brain disorders.
The researchers also looked at studies that examined the association between ambient temperatures and hospitalizations and mortality rates in these neurological disorders.
The neurological disorders that the team examined included Alzheimer’s disease, other forms of dementia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, migraine, epilepsy, and stroke. The tick-borne disease encephalitis was also considered an infectious disease of the nervous system by the researchers.
Researchers reviewed 84 studies to determine that individuals with neurological disorders had worse outcomes when exposed to higher ambient temperatures.
For instance, multiple studies found that elevated ambient temperatures were associated with more adverse symptoms, such as irritability, anxiety, depression, and agitation, in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and non-Alzheimer’s dementia.
In the same way, multiple sclerosis sufferers who experience an increase of ambient temperatures also experience a decline in cognitive performance as well as motor function.
Persons with dementia and stroke are at greater risk of death and hospitalization due to high temperatures.
Researchers also found an increase in tick-borne encephalitis when there was an increase in the annual temperature. They identified a few studies suggesting a negative impact of higher temperatures on individuals with Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, and migraine, but the evidence was limited.
The team then examined studies investigating the possibility of neurological disorders among migrants.
The researchers analyzed nine studies and found that the direction of migration’s effect on neurological disorders was variable.
The incidence of neurological disorders in migrants affected whether migration increased or decreased. This was due to cultural, economic and social factors in the destination and origin countries.
Results were also affected by availability to healthcare services in both countries of origin as well as those arriving.
For example, stroke rates were higher among Chinese-born and residing individuals than in those who immigrated to Western countries. These results could be attributed to the greater availability of healthcare in Western countries and cultural factors in China, such as a higher salt intake.
However, one study showed that stroke incidence was higher among individuals who emigrated from Africa to the United Kingdom. Individuals of African descent who emigrated from the Caribbean are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease.
It is possible that stroke risk may be increased by the interaction of socioeconomic factors and genetic risk for cardiovascular disease.
Researchers noted that studies on the effects of elevated temperatures on neurological disorders had significant variation in their design and methodology.
A majority of the studies reviewed did not address the impact of climate-related migration or global warming on neurological disorders.
They also pointed out that the majority of the studies that were analyzed by scientists were conducted in wealthy countries. The effects of climate change will likely be felt most strongly by those with lower incomes and disadvantaged communities.
Researchers also acknowledged that they only examined the potential impact of global migration and global warming on neurological disorders.
Climate change includes rising sea levels and drought, as well as air pollution and loss of biodiversity. This may also impact the occurrence of neurological disorders and their symptoms.
MNTAlso spoke with Dr. George PerryProfessor at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Dr. Perry, who wasn’t involved in the study, suggested other factors, such as stress, might be more important in mediating adverse effects of climate changes.
Dr. Perry said:
“The known issue is that global warming is increasing stress and uncertainty, [which] potentiate conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. In the context of increasing environmental degradation — particulate air pollution, resource competition, and conflict — climate change is but one of many stressors where we must reduce or modify the impact to preserve global health for us and the planet.”
