Associate Professor Manabu Shibasaki and Associate Professor Takashi Nakata of the Department of Living Environment Science, Nara Women's University have succeeded in objectively demonstrating the subjective (sensory) symptoms in the early stages of heat stroke using brain waves.
About how the activity of the human brain changes when the initial symptoms such as "head dullness" and "concentration decrease", which are typical symptoms of heat stroke, occur. So far, there has been no detailed and physiological evidence based on biological reactions.
This time, Associate Professors Shibasaki and Nakata discovered two new things in the research with the cooperation of the subjects.EEG event-related potentials revealed that the initial symptoms of heat stroke, "head dullness" and "decreased concentration," are caused by decreased cognitive function in the brain.In addition, even if the body is cooled during high body temperature and feels cold and comfortable, it is highly possible that cognitive decline continues as long as the body temperature does not drop sufficiently to the normal state. Was suggested.
The results of this study were published in the online version of the American Physiology Journal on April 4.In the future, it is expected that effective use of research results will lead to the establishment of preventive and coping methods in sports fields where heat stroke frequently occurs and in the elderly.