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

Thompson, Catherine and Ferrie, Lucy and Pearson, Stephen and Highlands, Brian and Matthews, Martyn (2024) Do extreme temperatures affect cognition? A short review of the impact of acute heat stress on cognitive performance of firefighters. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. ISSN 1664-1078

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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. Whilst 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.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information and Comments:	Copyright © 2024 Thompson, Ferrie, Pearson, Highlands and Matthews. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Keywords:	cognition, firefighters, heat stress, maximal adaptability model, core body temperature, vigilance
Faculty / Department:	Faculty of Human and Digital Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User:	Dr Catherine Thompson
Date Deposited:	23 Apr 2025 13:50
Last Modified:	23 Apr 2025 13:50
URI:	https://hira.hope.ac.uk/id/eprint/4646

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