Effects of Heat Strain on Cognitive Function Among a Sample of Miners

Overview

Journal Appl Ergon

Specialty Psychology

Date 2022 Mar 21

PMID 35313260

Authors

Kristin Yeoman

Alyssa Weakley

Weston DuBose

Kimberly Honn

Timothy McMurry

Brianna Eiter

Brent Baker

Gerald Poplin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Heat stress is associated with workplace injuries, likely through a combination of fatigue, reduced cognitive function, and thermal discomfort. The purpose of this study was to evaluate four cognitive tasks for sensitivity to heat stress. Eight participants performed treadmill exercise followed by assessments of serial reaction time (RT), Stroop effect, verbal delayed memory, and continuous performance working memory in an environmental chamber. A control (21.1 °C) trial, and "Hot 1" and "Hot 2" (both 37.8 °C) trials were run sequentially on two separate days to evaluate the four cognitive tasks. Heat strain (comparing Hot 1 and Hot 2 with the control trial) resulted in impairments in the serial RT test response and Stroop accuracy. Delayed memory was impacted only in the Hot 2 trial compared with the control trial. Given the demonstrated impact of heat on cognitive processes relevant to workers' real-world functioning in the workplace, understanding how to assess and monitor vigilant attention in the workplace is essential.

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