During a natural disaster, people may sustain damage to not just their property, but their mind as well, according to the findings of a recent study by researchers from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.

Based on past research, man-made disasters, such as the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, have been linked to an increase in cognitive impairment, which in turn leads to more accidents. As a result, the researchers wanted to see what impact natural events, such as earthquakes, have on people.

To find out, the researchers worked with individuals who had lived through the earthquake that devastated Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2010. These subjects were already participating in a separate study before the natural disaster struck. They were asked to either press a button that corresponded to numbers on a video screen or withhold a response.

Errors were found to increase following the earthquake. For instance, those who reported they were more anxious following the disaster also made more mistakes.

"Presumably people are under increased cognitive load after a major disaster," said researcher William S. Helton. "Processing a disaster during tasks is perhaps similar to dual-tasking, like driving and having a cellphone conversation at the same time, and this can have consequences."

If people feel as though a recent natural disaster has affected their cognitive abilities, they may want to take an IQ test and see if its results point to any changes.