Potential Connection Between Depression and Elevated Body Temperature
Potential Connection Between Depression and Elevated Body Temperature
A study conducted by UCSF, University of California, San Francisco which included 20,880 participants from 106 countries, has identified a potential link between depression and increased body temperatures.
Ever considered the possibility of a connection between high body temperature and depression?
Recent research conducted by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has uncovered a notable connection between depression and elevated body temperature, suggesting innovative treatment possibilities. This study may pave the way for heat-based therapies aimed at enhancing the body’s self-cooling mechanisms as a new form of treatment.
Over a span of seven months, researchers collected and analyzed data from 20,880 individuals across 106 countries for this study. The findings suggest that certain individuals may experience higher body temperatures when experiencing depression.
This research stands out as one of the largest investigations in this area, addressing limitations of previous studies that often had small sample sizes. While the UCSF study does not definitively prove that depression leads to increased body temperature, the correlation identified could open avenues for further exploration.
“Ironically, heating people up actually can lead to rebound body temperature lowering that lasts longer than simply cooling people down directly, as through an ice bath. What if we can track the body temperature of people with depression to time heat-based treatments well?. To our knowledge, this is the largest study to date to examine the association between body temperature-assessed using both self-report methods and wearable sensors-and depressive symptoms in a geographically broad sample,” informs Ashley Mason, PhD, the study’s lead author who is also an associate professor of psychiatry at UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences.
This emerging link could lead to simpler methods for addressing depression symptoms. If further research substantiates the idea that cooling therapy can benefit individuals with depression, it could transform the treatment landscape for millions globally.
