# Extreme temperatures and the aging brain in three nationally representative surveys

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2023 · $406,327

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Currently, only 40% of dementia can be explained by known risk factors and individual-level interventions have
been largely ineffective in preventing illness. As a result, there is increasing attention on aspects of the
physical environment that may have a role in poor cognitive functioning in later life and the development of
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). While air pollution is a known risk factor for dementia, the
impacts of other aspects of the natural environment on brain health are less well studied. Notably, extreme
temperatures have been linked to increased thermal discomfort, disrupted sleep, poorer mental health, as well
as accelerated neuron degeneration and nervous system damage, yet there is very little research on the
impacts of temperature on the aging brain. This project will leverage the substantial aging research
infrastructure of the Gateway to Global Aging Data project to promote research on the impacts of extreme
temperatures on cognition and dementia. By conducting analyses in surveys from the United States, Mexico,
and India, we will help to establish methodology and guidance documents that can be used by the larger
Health and Retirement Study and its International Network of Studies (HRS-INS) research community and
advance the science on extreme temperatures and health. Specifically, our aims are to: 1) Quantify the
associations of exposures to extreme heat and cold over long time frames with cognitive function and dementia
prevalence in older adults; 2) Investigate the degree to which extreme heat and cold over short time frames are
associated with cognitive function in older adults and evaluate sources of susceptibility; and 3) Generate
guidance documentation for climate research in the Gateway and share these resources with the broader
research community. This proposed research is highly innovative because it examines both short- and long-
term exposure to extreme temperatures on cognition and dementia prevalence within the Gateway project,
leveraging intra- and international sources of variation for added power and better generalizability to an
economically diverse set of nations. Additionally, given the richness of data in the Gateway project, we will be
able to newly examine sources of susceptibility at the individual level to better understand how extreme
temperatures impact cognitive health and the subpopulations most affected. Lastly, we will help to establish
methodology and guidance documents that can be used by the larger HRS-INS research community and
advance the science on extreme temperatures and health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10730463
- **Project number:** 3R01AG030153-18S2
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Sara Adar
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $406,327
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2007-05-01 → 2027-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10730463

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10730463, Extreme temperatures and the aging brain in three nationally representative surveys (3R01AG030153-18S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10730463. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*