Climate change is worsening headaches and other neurological diseases, study says

As the planet becomes warmer, people with neurologic diseases such as headaches, dementia, multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease may experience worsening symptoms, scientists have warned.

A review of studies published on climate change and neurologic diseases showed that extreme weather events and fluctuations in temperature were associated with a higher prevalence of stroke, as well as migraine headaches, hospitalisation of dementia patients, and worsening MS.

Extreme weather events and temperature fluctuations were particularly linked to these symptoms becoming more severe.

The review, published in the Neurology journal of the American Academy of Neurology on Wednesday (16 November), also showed that climate change resulted in “favourable conditions” that encourage the spread of neuroinfectious diseases, such as West Nile virus, meningococcal meningitis, and tick-borne encephalitis.

Such conditions have expanded “beyond the traditional geographic areas” due to global warming and these diseases carried by animals and insects put new populations at risk, it said.

Exposure to airborne pollutants, like nitrates and fine particulate matter, has also been associated with stroke incidence and severity, headaches, dementia risk, Parkinson’s disease and worsening of MS, the review added.

Dr Andrew Dhawan, from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and author of the review, said that despite the international community’s attempts to reduce global temperature rise to under 2C, “irreversible environmental changes have already occurred”.

“As we witness the effects of a warming planet on human health, it is imperative that neurologists anticipate how neurologic disease may change,” he added.

The review, which looked at studies published on climate change, pollutants, temperature extremes and neurologic diseases between 1990 and 2022, found 364 relevant studies in three categories.

This included 289 studies on the impact of pollution, 38 on extreme weather events and temperature fluctuations, and 37 on emerging neuroinfectious diseases.

But Dr Dhawan said some of the challenges posed by climate change on humanity are “not well-studied”.

“For example, our review did not find any articles related to effects on neurological health from food and water insecurity, yet these are clearly linked to neurologic health and climate change,” he explained.

“More studies are needed on ways to reduce neuroinfectious disease transmission, how air pollution affects the nervous system, and how to improve delivery of neurologic care in the face of climate-related disruptions.”