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Review
. 2024 Jan 11:14:1270898.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1270898. eCollection 2023.

Do extreme temperatures affect cognition? A short review of the impact of acute heat stress on cognitive performance of firefighters

Catherine Thompson  1 , Lucy Ferrie  2 , Stephen J Pearson  3 , Brian Highlands  3 , Martyn J Matthews  3
Affiliations
Review

Do extreme temperatures affect cognition? A short review of the impact of acute heat stress on cognitive performance of firefighters

Catherine Thompson et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Research shows that exposure to high environmental temperatures can affect task performance. Theoretical explanations outline that heat is a source of stress that competes for limited-capacity resources, therefore if a task is resource-intensive, and/or if heat stress is extreme, performance will suffer. One occupation in which individuals complete demanding tasks and make difficult decisions, often in temperatures exceeding 200°C, is firefighting. Yet very little is currently known about the impact of heat stress on the cognitive functioning of firefighters. This short review summarizes the limited research in this area, focusing on studies that measured cognition of firefighters following a realistic training exercise. The findings are mixed with evidence that heat stress improves, impairs, and has no impact on cognitive functioning. While there are differences in the firefighting activities utilized, and the temperatures that participants were exposed to, it is argued that the varied findings can be attributed to the tasks used to assess cognitive processing, and the cognitive functions being measured. In accordance with the wider field of research, it is concluded that complex functioning, such as sustained attention, vigilance, and working memory is negatively impacted by acute exposure to extreme heat. Greater understanding of factors affecting cognition would inform safety practices and more research is needed to understand how and when heat stress may influence cognition in firefighting scenarios.

Keywords: cognition; core body temperature; firefighters; heat stress; maximal adaptability model; vigilance.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the Fire Service Research and Training Trust.

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