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Brain Sciences
Special Issues
Climate-Related Neurological Problems and Diseases
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Climate-Related Neurological Problems and Diseases

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 1537

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Karel Kostev

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. University Clinic, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
2. Epidemiology, IQVIA, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Interests: epidemiology; climate; neurological health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change is increasingly recognized as a critical factor influencing neurological health. Rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and environmental instability have been linked to conditions such as heatstroke‑induced migraine, neuroinflammatory disorders, stroke, and exacerbations of neurodegenerative diseases. Understanding these links is essential for both prevention and treatment.

The aim of this Special Issue, “Climate‑Related Neurological Problems and Diseases”, is to explore the mechanisms, epidemiology, and clinical implications of climate‑driven neurological disorders. We seek to integrate multidisciplinary perspectives—from neurology, environmental health, public health, and climate science—to build a comprehensive picture of the problem.

This Special Issue will highlight cutting‑edge research in pathophysiology, predictive modelling, climate‑resilient healthcare strategies, and emerging therapeutic approaches.

We invite original research articles, reviews, clinical case studies, and policy analyses addressing any aspect of climate’s impact on neurological health, including mechanistic studies, population data, and intervention strategies.

Dr. Karel Kostev
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • climate
  • heat
  • stroke
  • migraine
  • headache
  • depression

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1167 KB  
Article
Core Body Temperature Negatively Correlates with Whole-Brain Gray Matter Volume: A Pilot Study in the Context of Global Warming
by Keisuke Kokubun, Kiyotaka Nemoto, Yoshimitsu Yamamoto, Ayumu Mitera and Yoshinori Yamakawa
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(12), 1324; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15121324 - 12 Dec 2025
Viewed by 292
Abstract
Global warming has been associated with various adverse effects on human physiology, yet its potential impact on brain structure remains largely unexplored. The present pilot study investigated the relationship between core body temperature and whole-brain gray matter volume (GMV) in healthy adults. Twenty-seven [...] Read more.
Global warming has been associated with various adverse effects on human physiology, yet its potential impact on brain structure remains largely unexplored. The present pilot study investigated the relationship between core body temperature and whole-brain gray matter volume (GMV) in healthy adults. Twenty-seven participants (19 males, 8 females; mean age = 38.6 ± 10.3 years) underwent MRI scanning and core temperature assessment. Correlation and partial correlation analyses were performed to examine the association between core body temperature and GMV, controlling for demographic and physiological covariates summarized by the first principal component. Core body temperature showed a significant negative correlation with whole-brain GMV (r = −0.496, p = 0.009; 95% CI = −0.737 to −0.143) and a trend-level significant partial correlation after covariate adjustment (r = −0.373, p = 0.060; 95% CI = −0.660 to 0.008). These trends remained after correction for multiple comparisons using the Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate. Exploratory analyses across 116 AAL regions identified the left Fusiform gyrus as showing a significant negative correlation with core body temperature (r = −0.643, p < 0.001). Given the modest sample size, these findings should be interpreted cautiously as preliminary, hypothesis-generating evidence. They suggest that even subtle variations in body temperature within the normal physiological range may relate to differences in global brain structure. Possible mechanisms include heat-induced inflammation, oxidative stress, and increased metabolic load on neural tissue. Understanding how individual differences in body temperature relate to brain morphology may provide insights into the neural health consequences of rising environmental temperatures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate-Related Neurological Problems and Diseases)
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9 pages, 1098 KB  
Article
Heatstroke Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Chronic Headache: A Retrospective Cohort Study
by Karel Kostev, Ira Rodemer, Marcel Konrad and Jens Bohlken
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(9), 1011; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15091011 - 19 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1120
Abstract
Background: Heatstroke is the most severe form of heat-related illness. It is characterized by an elevated core body temperature and central nervous system dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between heatstroke and subsequent migraine development. Methods: This retrospective [...] Read more.
Background: Heatstroke is the most severe form of heat-related illness. It is characterized by an elevated core body temperature and central nervous system dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between heatstroke and subsequent migraine development. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used data from the Disease Analyzer database (IQVIA) and included individuals diagnosed with heatstroke, as well as propensity score-matched individuals without heatstroke. Data about these individuals was recorded in 1216 general practices in Germany between January 2005 and December 2023. Five-year cumulative migraine incidence was assessed using Kaplan–Meiercurves, and univariable Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between heatstroke and migraine. Results: The study included 5794 individuals with heatstroke and 28,970 matched controls without heatstroke (median age: 30 years, 31–32% female). Most heatstroke cases were documented in June (32–34%), followed by July (30%), August (15–17%), and May (13%). Within five years of follow-up, 8.8% of patients with heatstroke and 4.0% of controls were diagnosed with migraine. The regression analysis revealed that heatstroke was significantly associated with an increased risk of migraine in the total population (HR: 2.26; 95% CI: 2.00–2.57), as well as in women (HR: 2.33; 95% CI: 1.96–2.79) and men (HR: 2.26; 95% CI: 1.89–2.70). Conclusion: This study highlights an important, yet previously underrecognized, association between heatstroke and an increased risk of migraine. As global temperatures continue to rise, public health strategies should focus not only on the acute prevention and management of heat-related illnesses, but also on their potential long-term neurological consequences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate-Related Neurological Problems and Diseases)
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