Cognitive Function Under Thermal Stress

This new area of research for the EEL can have great potential impact and application to occupational and health settings. What are the influences of body temperature on our ability to sense and correctly respond to our environment? This is especially critical in occupational settings for a number of reasons: 1) Advances in technology has decreased the physical demands of many occupations while increasing the mental or cognitive demands; 2) Most occupational exposure guidelines are based on physical parameters (e.g., heart rate, core temperature) limits rather than mental function limits; and 3) Accidents are the critical problem in workplace scenarios, and they typically happen well before any physical limits are reached. Unfortunately, much of the existing literature focuses on thermal stress based on exposure time, which does not account for individual variability or actual thermal strain, making it difficult to actually understand the impact of body temperature on cognition.

Our long-term goal, working with numerous colleagues specialising in psychology, is to systematically investigate the effects of both heat and cold stress on information processing, from sensing a signal, correctly integrating it, through to coordinating the proper mental or physical response. Upcoming projects will also be looking at temperature effects on maze acquisition and navigation, with potential application to search and rescue models.

Payne, J.* and S.S. Cheung. Isolated core vs. superficial cooling effects on virtual maze navigation. Aviat. Space Environ. Med. (In Press).

Cheung, S.S., D.A. Westwood, and M.K. Knox†. Cold strain impairs attention via distraction from skin cooling. Ergonomics. 50:275-288, 2007. PDF

Last Updated May 27, 2007

Site maintained by Dr. Stephen S. Cheung, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dalhousie University.