People with depression have higher body temperatures, suggesting there could be a mental health benefit to lowering the temperatures of those with the disorder, according to a new study.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, doesn’t indicate whether depression raises body temperature or a higher temperature causes depression.
It’s also unknown whether the higher body temperature observed in people with depression reflects decreased ability to self-cool, increased generation of heat from metabolic processes or a combination of both.
The findings shed light on how a novel depression treatment method might work, said lead author Ashley Mason, Associate Professor of psychiatry at University of California San Francisco in the US.