Heat Stress in Individuals With Schizophrenia
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Simulated exposure to indoor overheating.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Heat Stress, Physiological Stress, Cognitive Change. Basic parameters: 18 years — 85 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Canada
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Impact of Indoor Overheating on Physiological Strain in Individuals With Schizophrenia
Overview
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness affecting approximately 24 million people worldwide and is associated with more than double the all cause mortality risk of the general population. Emerging evidence demonstrates that elevated temperatures acutely worsen mental health symptoms and significantly increase the risk of heat related morbidity and mortality. For people living with schizophrenia, prolonged exposure to heat can exacerbate psychiatric symptoms, impair judgment and decision making, and reduce the ability to engage in protective behaviors such as increasing hydration, reducing clothing, improving ventilation, or seeking cooler environments. As a result, individuals with schizophrenia may experience higher rates of heat related illness. To date our understanding of heat exposure effects in individuals with schizophrenia remains incomplete, hindering the development of evidence-based strategies to protect them. Thus, the primary objective of this exploratory study is to gather preliminary data on the effects of indoor overheating on physiological responses (core body temperature and cardiovascular function), cognitive performance (attention, working memory, and reaction time), and mood in adults with schizophrenia. Specifically, we will assess whether maintaining indoor conditions at the upper recommended temperature limit for older adults (26°C, 45% relative humidity \[RH\]; PMID: 38329752) is sufficient to mitigate physiological strain compared with exposure to a hot indoor environment (36°C, 45% RH) representative of non-air-conditioned homes during extreme heat events in individuals with schizophrenia. In both conditions, the individual will remain seated at rest while wearing light clothing (t shirt and shorts), with the exception of performing 15 minutes of stepping exercise (4-4.5 METS) each hour (excluding the lunch period) to reflect typical daily activities of daily living.
Interventions
- Other Simulated exposure to indoor overheating
Individuals with schizophrenia exposed to a 6-hour simulated heat exposure
Primary outcome measures
- Core temperature (Peak) during daylong exposure to indoor overheating [Time frame: End of 6 hour daylong exposure]
Secondary outcome measures (12)
- Profiles of Mood States (POMS) during daylong exposure to indoor overheating [Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure]
- Environmental Symptoms Questionnaire (ESQ) during daylong exposure to indoor overheating [Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure]
- Perceived exertion scale during daylong exposure to indoor temperature limit. [Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure]
- Activity levels (total steps taken) during daylong exposure to indoor overheating [Time frame: End of 6 hour daylong exposure]
- Feel good scale during daylong exposure to indoor overheating [Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure]
- Thirst sensation scale during daylong exposure to indoor overheating [Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure]
- Thermal comfort scale during daylong exposure to indoor overheating [Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure]
- Thermal sensation 2 scale during daylong exposure to indoor overheating [Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure]
- Thermal sensation scale during daylong exposure to indoor overheating [Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure]
- Fluid loss during daylong exposure to indoor overheating [Time frame: At end of 6 hour daylong exposure]
- Fluid consumption during daylong exposure to indoor overheating [Time frame: At end of 6 hour daylong exposure]
- Hydration status during daylong exposure to indoor overheating [Time frame: At the start (hour 0) and end of 6 hour daylong exposure]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- English or French speaking.
- Ability to provide informed consent.
- Individuals with and without schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.
Exclusion criteria
- Endurance exercise training (greater than 3 sessions of vigorous exercise training per week for 30 minutes or more)
- Restrictions to physical activity
- Any history of diagnoses for other psychiatric disorders deemed to make participation in the study inadvisable.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
Study locations
Canada · 1 center
- University of Ottawa — Ottawa
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07383324 · HEPRU-2026-01-A