How climate change affects brain’s health

(MENAFN) When Jake was just five months old, he experienced his first tonic-clonic seizure, a frightening event marked by his body stiffening and jerking uncontrollably. His mother, Stephanie Smith, recalls the intense heat at the time and how they believed it was the worst moment they would face. Sadly, it was only the beginning.

Seizures became a recurring problem whenever the weather grew hot. Each summer brought sweltering, humid days that forced the family to employ every possible cooling strategy to try to prevent the seizures. At 18 months, genetic testing revealed that Jake has Dravet Syndrome, a neurological disorder characterized by epilepsy that affects about one in every 15,000 children. This condition not only involves seizures but is often linked to intellectual disabilities and other challenges such as autism, ADHD, and difficulties with speech, mobility, eating, and sleep. Heat and rapid temperature fluctuations are known to trigger seizures in affected individuals.

Now 13, Jake continues to suffer frequent seizures whenever temperatures rise, and his mother notes that increasingly hotter summers and heatwaves have made managing the condition even harder.

Dravet Syndrome is just one example of neurological illnesses worsened by higher temperatures. Sanjay Sisodiya, a neurologist at University College London specializing in epilepsy, has observed many patients reporting more severe symptoms during heatwaves. He reasoned that climate change should logically influence brain function, given the brain’s role in regulating how the body handles heat.

In reviewing scientific research, Sisodiya found that numerous neurological disorders—including epilepsy, stroke, encephalitis, multiple sclerosis, and migraines—are aggravated by rising heat and humidity. The effects of climate change on brain health are already becoming evident, indicating a pressing need to better understand and address these risks.

MENAFN03082025000045017281ID1109878192