The Effect of Cold Exposure on Cognitive Performance in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review of experimental studies
PubMed 34574649 · doi:10.3390/ijerph18189725
What was done
A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted across MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO to evaluate the effects of cold exposure on cognitive performance in healthy adults. Eligible studies had experimental designs assessing cognitive outcomes related to simulated or real cold environments.
What was found
Eighteen experimental studies met inclusion criteria: 8 evaluated cold air exposure and 10 evaluated cold water immersion. Cold exposure resulted in cognitive impairment in 15 of 18 experimental settings before accidental hypothermia occurred. The most frequently assessed and affected cognitive domains were attention, processing speed, executive function, and memory. The abstract reports no pooled numerical effect sizes or confidence intervals.
Why it matters
This review shows that acute cold exposure consistently degrades core cognitive functions in healthy adults, occurring even without the onset of clinical hypothermia.
Limits
The included studies exhibited high methodological heterogeneity in exposure temperatures, duration, and the timing and types of cognitive tests. The abstract reported no quantitative meta-analysis, participant counts were not specified, and effects of biological sex, repeated exposure, and acclimation could not be established.