Global Warming and People with Epilepsy:

A Call for Neurological Leadership in the Climate Crisis

Abstract

The climate crisis has emerged as a defining challenge of the 21st century, with profound implications for human health. While its environmental and economic consequences are widely recognized, its impact on neurological disorders remains underexplored. Epilepsy, affecting approximately 1% of the global population, represents a uniquely sensitive model to understand the complex interplay between environmental, biological, and social determinants of brain health.

This perspective examines how climate change may influence epilepsy through multiple pathways. Rising temperatures, air pollution, and the expansion of climate-sensitive infectious diseases contribute both directly and indirectly to seizure risk and disease burden. Mechanisms include sleep disruption, metabolic and electrolyte imbalance, neuroinflammation, and increased cerebrovascular risk. In addition, climate-related disruptions to healthcare systems, medication stability, and access to treatment further compromise disease control, particularly in vulnerable populations.

The climate crisis also amplifies existing social inequalities, disproportionately affecting individuals in low- and middle-income regions where epilepsy burden is already higher. These overlapping vulnerabilities and epilepsy stigma highlight the need for a broader framework that integrates environmental determinants into neurological care and research.

More than an emerging area of study, this is a call for action. Neurology must expand its scope to address the health impacts of a rapidly changing planet. Recognizing epilepsy as a sentinel condition in this context may help guide more resilient, equitable, and forward-looking approaches to brain health in the decades ahead.