Our body temperature may be closely linked to our mental health, a study suggests this week. A team of scientists has found evidence that elevated body temperature is associated with clinical depression. Although there are many unanswered questions about this connection, researchers have already begun conducting human experiments to confirm and further understand the phenomenon.
The study was led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco. Some past studies have shown a possible link between body temperature and depression, but these have generally focused on only a small number of people. As it turns out, these study authors had a much larger dataset on hand that could be useful for investigating this topic: the TemPredict study.
The TemPredict project initially aimed to understand whether wearable sensors that detect changes in skin temperature and other physiological factors could be used to predict covid-19 infection earlier than usual (Simply put, probably!). But the study's design also meant that temperature readings and general health, including self-reported symptoms of depression, could be examined at once in a large number of people.
For this new research, published In Scientific Reports on Monday, the research team looked at data from more than 20,000 participants enrolled in the TemPredict study. They found a significant association between having symptoms of depression and an increase in overall body temperature, both in terms of self-reported body temperature measurements and data from wearables. And higher body temperatures tend to be associated with more severe depression, further strengthening the case for a clear association.
“While there are studies going back decades that have documented a correlation between depression and body temperature, those studies were often small, with 10 to 20 participants,” said lead author of the study. Ashley Mason, associate professor of psychiatry at the Weill Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, San Francisco, told Gizmodo in an email. “This study that we recently published shows this correlation in a much larger sample, and we look forward to further research into the mechanisms underlying this correlation.”
This type of research can only prove a correlation between body temperature and mental health, not a direct cause-and-effect relationship. And it's still unclear exactly how this relationship works, if it really exists. For example, it is unclear whether depression increases body temperature or whether high body temperature increases the risk of depression. Or, depending on the situation, it could be both.
“This relationship is particularly appealing because there is data showing that body temperature tends to normalize when people recover from depression, regardless of how they recovered. And body temperature-based interventions There is also new data suggesting that it may reduce symptoms of depression,” Mason said. “For example, data shows that heat-based treatments, especially infrared saunas, cause a rapid increase in body temperature. These increases in body temperature act on the body's self-cooling mechanisms (thinking, sweating), This can lead to subsequent hypothermia (sweating and lowering body temperature).”
Mason and her team have already begun exploring the practical implications of their research. They have completed their first sauna-related study, with peer-reviewed data expected to be published later this year, and are currently recruiting volunteers for a second study. HEAT bed studyThis study tests whether adding sauna sessions to cognitive behavioral therapy can improve treatment outcomes for patients with clinical depression. One day, it may be possible to ward off depression simply by regularly using saunas and other body temperature-related treatments, Mason said.
“These data are interesting because they point to the possibility of a unique body-based treatment for depression that does not require pharmacotherapy or traditional psychotherapy,” she said.
