Several industries experience periods of cold exposure and rewarming throughout the workday but mental performance under these conditions is unknown. A better understanding of cognition during the rewarming phase after cold exposure may help reduce accidents and improve performance. Ten young men (wearing ∼0.1 clo) underwent three consecutive mornings trials where they were exposed to cold air (10°C) and then subsequently rewarmed (25°C air). A computerised test battery was administered during each stage of the protocol to determine working memory, choice reaction time, executive function and maze navigation. Rectal and skin temperature, oxygen consumption and thermal sensation were also measured throughout and showed a typical response. Relative to baseline performance, working memory, choice reaction time and executive function declined during exposure to 10°C, and these impairments persisted 60 min into the recovery period (i.e. once physiological parameters had returned to baseline). Further work is needed to develop countermeasures to this predicament. Practitioner Summary: This study showed that working memory, choice reaction time and executive function declined during exposure to 10°C air, and these impairments persisted 60 min into the rewarming period (i.e. once measurable physiological parameters had returned to normal). Individuals may be at risk for injury after removal from a cold environment.

OBJECTIVE To investigate caregiver burden and its potential associations with psychosocial function and veterinary service use among dog and cat owners and with factors related to treatment plan adherence among owners of animals with chronic or terminal disease. DESIGN Cross-sectional, observational study. SAMPLE 124 clients of a small animal hospital. PROCEDURES Study participants were recruited by email. Owners of sick animals were blindly matched with owners of healthy animals (62/group) by age, gender, and companion animal species. Respondents completed electronic questionnaires related to demographics and previously described measures of caregiver burden, psychosocial function, and treatment plan adherence. Veterinary medical records were reviewed to verify animal health status and assess veterinary service use (billable and nonbillable contacts with veterinary staff) in the 12 months prior to study enrollment. Variables were tested for association by statistical methods. RESULTS Questionnaire scores reflected greater caregiver burden; greater symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress; and poorer quality of life for respondents with sick animals than for respondents with healthy animals. Greater caregiver burden was associated with scores reflecting poorer psychosocial function and with greater veterinary service use. The number of nonbillable, but not billable, contacts was greater for respondents with high caregiver burden than for those without this finding. Treatment plan factors associated with greater caregiver burden included changes in routine because of the animal's condition and perception that following new rules and routines for management of the condition was challenging. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Awareness of potential caregiver burden and psychosocial distress in clients with sick companion animals may help veterinarians identify opportunities for an empathic response. Future research should assess directionality of the relationship between these factors.

Extensive literature has addressed the acute cognitive effects of breaking a fast. Recent reviews in this line of work have synthesized available res