Observational studyThe journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences2025
Home Ambient Temperature and Self-Reported Attention in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.
Observational study in The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Effect of Environment on the Cognition of Older Adults: A Narrative Review.Brain sciences · 2026Review
- Temperature discomfort impairs everyday cognition: a pilot study using smartwatch-based ecological momentary assessment.Environmental research communications · 2026Article
- Wnt signaling pathway in lung aging and aging-related chronic lung diseases.Biogerontology · 2025Review
- Technical requirements and optimization strategies for home-based teleradiology workstations: a review article.Insights into imaging · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundClimate change is expected to disrupt weather patterns across the world, exposing older adults to more intense and frequent periods of hot weather. Meanwhile, lab-based studies have established a causal relationship between ambient temperature and cognitive abilities, suggesting the expected rise in temperature may influence older adults' cognitive functioning. Nevertheless, it is not clear whether, and to what extent, the temperature variations in older adults' own homes-which unlike lab settings are under their control-influence their cognitive functioning. Our objective was to provide proof of concept that home ambient temperature influences self-reported ability to maintain attention in older adults.
methodsWe conducted a longitudinal observational study, continuously monitoring the home ambient temperature and self-reported difficulty keeping attention for 12 months in 47 of community-dwelling older adults living in Boston, Massachusetts.
resultsWe observed a U-shaped relationship between home ambient temperature at the time of assessment and the odds ratio (OR) of reporting difficulty keeping attention such that the OR was lowest between 20°C and 24°C and doubled when moving away from this range by 4°C in either direction. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that even under the current climate, a considerable portion of older adults encounter indoor temperatures detrimental to their cognitive abilities. Climate change may exacerbate this problem, particularly among low-income and underserved older adults. Addressing this issue in public health and housing policy is essential to building climate resiliency in this vulnerable population.
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Registered trials
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