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A neuroscientist explains how heatwaves affect our brains

Anyone else feel like they can’t focus?

Melting down (Picture: Shutterstock)

We’ve entered into yet another heatwave, and while some might be basking in the sun, our brains could be suffering.

Multiple studies over the years have shown that workers and students struggle to perform at optimal levels when the temperature rises – with work and exam scores lowering.

Dr Elisabeth Philipps, a clinical neuroscientist for health and wellbeing brand Fourfive, shares the science behind what happens to the brain in the heat.

She says: ‘As the temperature goes up, cognitive function goes down because heat affects our brain.

‘Higher temperatures can stop nerve fibres from working properly.

‘This means that sometimes messages cannot get to and from the brain which is why you may experience fatigue, weakness, or problems with balance or vision.’

This happens because the hypothalamus (the part of the brain that regulates our temperature) has to work overtime in the warmer weather.

‘This part of the brain is also affected by hormonal changes, so combined with the heat this can slow brain messages from getting through which will affect our brain function, mood and cognition,’ she adds.

Signs your brain is affected by heat stroke:

• Headache
• Dizziness and confusion
• Loss of appetite and feeling sick
• Feeling lethargic 

At high temperatures, unwanted proteins and ions can build up in the brain – this can affect the brain’s regular function.

Elisabeth says: ‘At 40 degrees, the blood-brain barrier begins to break down.

‘This barrier separates the brain tissue from the bloodstream, keeping out unwanted particles and bacteria while allowing in the oxygen and nutrients the brain needs. 

‘People with neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease are particularly susceptible to brain cell damage and death caused by the higher temperatures.’

However, there is one key thing you can control to minimise the effects of this.

It’s vital to keep hydrated, as dehydration can reduce brain neuronal activity.

Elisabeth suggests having around 2-2.5 litres of water a day to keep hydration levels at a good place – helping to combat some of the other ways the brain might be struggling.

How to drink more water:

UK authorises 'next generation' omicron booster vaccine in world first

The UK is the first country in the world to authorise an omicron-specific booster vaccination, with an updated version of the Moderna jab set to be available in time for an autumn campaign.

Covid vaccines - SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP

The US-based company's so-called bivalent vaccine combines both the original form of the Covid vaccine, with a version tailored for omicron, currently the dominant strain. 

Data published in June shows the two-in-one vaccine gives just as good protection against omicron as the first jab did against the original strain of SARS-CoV-2.

Half of the dose is the original (25 micrograms) and the other half is the genetic code to target omicron, providing protection against both.

On Monday, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) authorised the new Covid vaccine for use in the UK, making Britain the first country in the world to give the green light to an updated, omicron-specific jab. 

"We are delighted with the MHRA’s authorisation of Spikevax Bivalent Original/Omicron, our next-generation Covid-19 vaccine," said Stéphane Bancel, the chief executive of Moderna.

"This represents the first authorisation of an omicron-containing bivalent vaccine, further highlighting the dedication and leadership of the UK public health authorities in helping to end the Covid-19 pandemic."

'Superior breadth of immune response'

He added that the new guise of the mRNA vaccine "has consistently shown superior breadth of immune response" when compared to the original form of the vaccine first made in 2020.

"This bivalent vaccine has an important role to play in protecting people in the UK from Covid-19 as we enter the winter months," he said.

The UK ordered 29 million doses of vaccine from Moderna in 2022, with an undisclosed number already delivered. The remainder of the order is set to be fulfilled with the new jab, The Telegraph understands.

"It's great news for the British public that the first bivalent Covid vaccine is now available," Darius Hughes, UK General Manager at Moderna, told The Telegraph.

"We'll be shipping it in the next couple of weeks and it will be available for the autumn-winter booster campaign.

"We will be working now with the vaccines taskforce (VTF) and with UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and with our NHS partners so that we can begin deliveries of this new bivalent vaccine within the next couple of weeks so that the NHS has it available to give to the UK public some time beginning-mid September, depending on when they choose to deploy."

Moderna data show that people boosted with the omicron vaccine had high levels of antibodies in their blood, recording a geometric mean titre (GMT) score of 941. 

'Good protection'

Moderna’s original vaccine produced about 1,000 units against the wild form of the virus, and anything above 400 "we consider gives good protection", Dr Paul Burton, Moderna’s chief medical officer, said in June. 

There is no evidence yet that the vaccine will be any more or less effective at stopping transmission.

The JCVI announced in July that a Covid booster jab will be offered to all over-50s, as well as care home staff and residents, frontline healthcare workers, and vulnerable under-50s.

It will operate in tandem with the seasonal flu jab rollout, which has been brought forward this year to get ahead of what is expected to be a particularly bad winter for respiratory viruses. 

Several hundred million doses of the bivalent vaccine have already been stockpiled by Moderna, ready for delivery, with the company pivoting its entire operation to the new product and betting on widespread authorisation.

It is also hoping to have a Covid-flu combined vaccine ready by next winter, as well as a triple-threat jab combining Covid and flu with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) by the winter of 2024-25. 

Mr Hughes added that the omicron jab contains the genetic code for the original form of omicron, BA.1, which also works well against BA.4 and BA.5, the currently circulating sub-lineages of omicron. 

He said that the design of the mRNA vaccine means the company could add other strains into the dose, if needed. 

"Our lipid nanoparticle design allows us to put more than one strain inside, in fact, we have put up to six in the same lipid particle so we can keep the original strain, we could keep an omicron strain, and we could add another strain. We can be very flexible in the way that we approach it," Mr Hughes revealed.

A BA.4 and BA.5 bivalent vaccine, combining the currently dominant strains of omicron with the original variant, is also being developed and data on this will be sent to MHRA next month, Mr Hughes told The Telegraph. 

'Sharpened tool in our armoury'

Dr June Raine, the chief executive of the MHRA, said: "I am pleased to announce the approval of the Moderna bivalent booster vaccine, which was found in the clinical trial to provide a strong immune response against the omicron BA.1 variant as well as the original 2020 strain.

"The first generation of Covid-19 vaccines being used in the UK continue to provide important protection against the disease and save lives. What this bivalent vaccine gives us is a sharpened tool in our armoury to help protect us against this disease as the virus continues to evolve.

"We have in place a comprehensive safety surveillance strategy for monitoring the safety of all UK-approved Covid-19 vaccines and this will include the vaccine approved today." 

Reference: The Telegraph: Joe Pinkstone

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Doctors could offer 'chestfeeding support' to transgender men who give birth

The document from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists details best practice for pregnancies in transgender men.

It also proposes overhauls of cancer screening, childbirth and fertility treatments to make them more inclusive.

A transgender man is assigned as female at birth but now identifies as a male, though he may have female genitalia enabling childbirth.

Gynaecological oncologist Phil Rolland, who helped to draft the guidance, said: "Trans people are more likely to have poor experiences when accessing healthcare, and we can do better."

Reference: Daily Express: Mark Reynolds