Logo image
Cognitive decrements do not follow neuromuscular alterations during passive heat exposure
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Cognitive decrements do not follow neuromuscular alterations during passive heat exposure

N. Gaoua, J. Grantham, F. El Massioui, O. Girard and S. Racinais
International Journal of Hyperthermia, Vol.27(1), pp.10-19
2011
url
Link to Published Version *Subscription may be requiredView

Abstract

To investigate what triggers cognitive and neuromuscular alterations during passive heat exposure, eight volunteers performed simple (One Touch Stockings of Cambridge, OTS-4) and complex (OTS-6) cognitive tasks as well as neuromuscular testing (maximal isometric voluntary contractions of the thumb with electrical stimulation of the motor nerve and magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex). These tests were performed at the start (T1), after 1 h 30 min (T2), 3 h (T3) and 4 h 30 min (T4) of exposure in both hot (HOT) (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature [WBGT] = 38° ± 1.4°C) and neutral control (CON) (WBGT = 19° ± 0.3°C) environments. Environmental temperatures were adjusted during the HOT session to induce target core temperatures (Tcore) (T1 ∼ 37.3°; T2 ∼ 37.8°; T3 ∼ 38.3°; T4 ∼ 38.8°C). At T1 and T4 the OTS-6 was lower in HOT than in CON in response to the rapid increase in skin temperature and to hyperthermia, respectively. In HOT, the increase in Tcore limited force production capacity possibly via alterations occurring upstream the motor cortex (from Tcore ∼ 37.8°C) but also via a decrement in motor cortical excitability (from Tcore ∼ 38.3°C). These alterations in cortex excitability failed to explain the cognitive alterations that can originate from an additional cognitive load imposed by temperature variations.

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

Source: InCites

Metrics

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Citation topics
1 Clinical & Life Sciences
1.172 Sports Science
1.172.823 Thermoregulation
Web Of Science research areas
Oncology
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
ESI research areas
Clinical Medicine
Logo image