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Heat greatly reduces concentration, at least according to research conducted at Harvard University. Although it may seem intuitive that very hot days may affect our mood and our rest, so far, many studies have not been conducted to evaluate the influence of heat. on cognitive abilities. Research into the effects of high temperature days has focused on older people, who are more at risk from dehydration, lack of rest, and stress conditions that may follow.
The new study was coordinated by Harvard researcher Dr. Jose Guillermo Cedeño-Laurent of the Chan School of Public Health, an institute that is part of the famous University of the United States. With his colleagues, Cedeño-Laurent studied 44 Boston students aged twenty, divided into two groups: 24 housed in air-conditioned dormitories, 20 in buildings without air conditioning. The research was conducted during the summer of 2016 for a period of 12 days: the first five with temperatures in the seasonal average, five more during a "heat wave" and the two finals with temperatures still in the media .
12 days of badysis, each student had to undergo some tests to be realized via an application on his smartphone. The results of the tests were collected and badyzed by the researchers, noting significant differences between the two groups
During the days of above average temperatures, students without air conditioning showed a decrease in their cognitive functions, according to five different parameters taken into account by researchers. For example, the hottest students spent an average of 13.4% more time solving a test, which simply asked them to identify the color of certain words displayed on the smartphone screen. . In another test on arithmetic, by contrast, they averaged 13.3% lower scores than members of the other group, cool with air conditioners.
Al Boston Globe Cedeño-Lawrence explained that his study could have "substantial implications for millions of people, who may be suffering from a deterioration in their cognitive conditions". The study, published in the scientific journal PLOS Medicine also reports that even in the days immediately following the heat wave there were differences, mainly due to the slowness with which the buildings cool, after very hot days. The phenomenon is more pronounced in areas of the world where buildings are designed to absorb heat and release it slowly during cold winters, and so they are ineffective during the summer with abnormal heat waves that last several days [19659006]. researchers, other research of this type could offer new perspectives for badysis and reflection on the effects of global warming. The hottest summers in some parts of the world could affect the performance of those who study and work, with significant consequences for the economy
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