Studies show climate change isn’t just affecting the planet — it’s changing how your brain works

From seizures to strokes to memory loss, here’s what scientists are discovering.

As global temperatures climb, scientists are uncovering a disturbing new consequence of climate change: its impact on the human brain. 

From increased seizure risk to rising stroke rates and altered mood and behavior, extreme heat is proving to be far more than a physical discomfort—it’s a neurological hazard. 

Case in point: Jake, a child in the UK diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome, experiences frequent seizures during heatwaves. His story is emblematic of a growing body of evidence linking temperature spikes to worsened neurological conditions like epilepsy, dementia, and multiple sclerosis.

Neurologists like Dr. Sanjay Sisodiya from University College London are now warning that heat disrupts the brain’s delicate balance. The brain, already one of the body’s most temperature-sensitive organs, struggles to function when thermoregulation is impaired by age, medication, or neurological disease. Elevated temperatures are also tied to increased stroke mortality, poor pregnancy outcomes, cognitive decline, and even the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier—allowing harmful pathogens into brain tissue. As climate change intensifies, researchers caution that today’s heat-vulnerable groups may be the warning signs for what the future holds for everyone.

Sources:

Sasan Faridi,Hao Yin,Mohammad Khanizadeh,Robert D. Brook,Thomas Münzel,Omar Hahad,Mohammad Sadegh Hassanvand,Kazem Naddafi,Sanjay Rajagopalan,Khurram Nasir,Sadeer Al-Kindi,Global, regional and national cardiovascular mortality costs associated with non-optimal temperatures over two decades (2000–2021), Environment International, 202, (109693), (2025).

Buguet, A., Radomski, M. W., Reis, J., & Spencer, P. S. (2023). Heatwaves and human sleep: Stress response versus adaptation. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 454, 120862.

Coehoorn, C. J., Stuart-Hill, L. A., Abimbola, W., Neary, J. P., & Krigolson, O. E. (2020). Firefighter neural function and decision-making following rapid heat stress. Fire Safety Journal, 118, 103240.