A model to quantify the relation between cognitive performance and thermal responses in high temperature at a moderate activity level

Abstract The cognitive impairment by high temperature is an important reason leading to physical work accidents. However, no quantitative mechanism models can be applied to describe the effect of high temperature on cognitive performance. In this study, we proposed a new association model between heat stress and cognitive performance (TSCI-CP model), which is based on the comprehensive heat stress index (TSCI) reflecting the combination influence of multiple thermal response factors. The quadratic regression models TSCI-CP from the climate-controlled experimental data with high temperature under moderate activity level. The determined coefficient R2 of fitting models involved the majority of cognitive tests is higher than 0.8, indicating that these models reasonably reflect the quantitative association between cognitive test scores and TSCI. The TSCI-CP model demonstrates that the influence of high temperature on the cognitive test depends on the increased degree of heat stress. With the increase of TSCI, the accuracy and speed of cognitive test show opposite trends, namely the accuracy first increases and then decreases, the speed first drops and then rises. Thus, it gives a new view reflecting the association between heat stress and cognitive performance under high temperature. The TSCI-CP model provides a theoretical basis for evaluating the influence of high temperature on cognitive performance quantitatively.

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