A new UC San Francisco-led study has found that people with depression tend to have higher body temperatures. This could have interesting implications for improving depressive symptoms. In recent times, depression has become a mental health crisis reaching epidemic status. On a global scale, the instances of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) have been rising in countries across the world. Youth and young adults bear the brunt of depression the most, and face repercussions such as lost opportunities over a lifetime. Studies have also found a significant rise in the intake of antidepressants among people since the COVID-19 pandemic. All these patterns highlight the urgent need to identify and implement new treatment options for depression.
The study stresses that to develop new treatments for depression, it is important to identify mechanisms that contribute to the development of depressive symptoms, and if they can be eliminated through intervention. Thus, it set out to identify physiological differences between those who have MDD and those who don’t. Any physiological characteristic that is common amongst a large number of people with depression, can then be a target for new treatments to reduce depressive symptoms. The characteristic that this study aimed to investigate was body temperature.
This new study, which was published in Scientific Reports, indicates a disparity amongst the body temperatures of individuals with and without a depressive disorder. Researchers analysed data from over twenty thousand international participants belonging to 106 countries. This study, named ‘TemPredict’, was a seven-month study which was initiated in March 2020. For the experiment, the participants were made to wear a sensor device – the Oura Ring – that measures body temperature and collects the data on a smartphone app. They also self-reported their body temperatures (assessed with a handheld thermometer) daily. The study also included monthly mental health assessment surveys which recorded the participants’ depression symptoms.
The results showed that with an increased severity of depressive symptoms, participants’ body temperatures also rose. The study showed that people with depression had an elevated body temperature, especially at night, when the body’s thermoregulatory cooling responses are critical for falling asleep and quality of sleep. The data from the body temperature measurement device also indicated a trend towards higher depression scores in the people whose body temperatures had less fluctuations throughout 24 hours. However, this finding did not reach significance. Notably, the study also suggested that the body temperature dysregulation in people with depressive disorder improved upon their clinical recovery from depression.
However, it is not mentioned in the study, whether depression raises body temperature or a higher temperature causes depression. It is also unknown whether the higher body temperature recorded in people with depression reflects decreased ability to self-cool, or an increased generation of heat from metabolic processes, or a combination of both. Ashley Mason, a PhD scholar, who was the study’s lead author and associate professor of psychiatry at UC San Francisco Neurosciences department, mentioned that the findings of the study shed light on how a new depression treatment might work.
A small body of previously existing studies has already found that using hot tubs or saunas can reduce depression symptoms. This possibly occurs by triggering the body to self-cool, for example, through sweating. Although it sounds ironic, heating people through such methods can lead to rebound body temperature lowering. This lasts longer than directly cooling the body down through methods such as ice baths. As per the lead of the research, it is the largest study to date which examines the association between body temperature and depression. Given the increasing rates of depression, this study shows hope towards new and effective treatment methods for it.
Uchunguzi wa UC San Francisco unaonyesha kuwa watu walio na shida ya akili huwa na joto la mwili la juu. Hilo laweza kuwa na matokeo yenye kupendeza kwa kuboresha dalili za kushuka moyo. Katika nyakati za karibuni, mshuko wa moyo umekuwa tatizo la afya ya akili ambalo limekuwa ugonjwa wa kuambukiza. Katika kiwango cha kimataifa, visa vya ugonjwa wa kushuka moyo (MDD) vimeongezeka katika nchi kote ulimwenguni. Vijana na vijana wanakabiliwa na athari kubwa zaidi za kushuka moyo, na wanakabiliwa na athari kama vile kupoteza fursa kwa maisha yao yote. Utafiti pia umegundua ongezeko kubwa la matumizi ya dawa za kukandamiza kati ya watu tangu janga la COVID-19. Mifumo hiyo yote inaonyesha kwamba ni muhimu sana kutambua na kutumia njia mpya za kutibu mshuko wa moyo. Utafiti huo unasisitiza kwamba ili kuendeleza matibabu mapya ya unyogovu, ni muhimu kutambua utaratibu ambao huchangia maendeleo ya dalili za unyogovu, na kama zinaweza kuondolewa kupitia uingiliaji. Hivyo, ilianza kutambua tofauti za kisaikolojia kati ya wale walio na MDD na wale wasio nayo. "Kila tabia ya kisaikolojia ambayo ni ya kawaida miongoni mwa idadi kubwa ya watu wenye unyogovu inaweza kuwa lengo la matibabu mapya ya kupunguza dalili za unyogovu. """ Sifa ambayo utafiti huu ulikusudiwa kuchunguza ilikuwa joto la mwili. Utafiti huo, uliochapishwa katika jarida la Scientific Reports, unaonyesha tofauti kati ya joto la mwili wa watu walio na ugonjwa wa kushuka moyo na wasio na ugonjwa huo. Watafiti walichunguza data kutoka kwa washiriki zaidi ya 20,000 wa kimataifa kutoka nchi 106. Utafiti huo, ulioitwa "TemPredict", ulikuwa utafiti wa miezi saba ambao ulianzishwa mnamo Machi 2020. Kwa ajili ya jaribio hilo, washiriki waliwekwa kuvaa kifaa cha sensorer - Oura Ring - ambacho hupima joto la mwili na kukusanya data kwenye programu ya simu ya mkononi. Pia walijirifu juu ya joto la mwili wao (lililochunguzwa kwa kipima-joto cha mkononi) kila siku. Utafiti huo pia ulijumuisha uchunguzi wa kila mwezi wa tathmini ya afya ya akili ambao ulirekodi dalili za unyogovu wa washiriki. Matokeo yalionyesha kwamba kadiri dalili za kushuka moyo zilivyoongezeka, ndivyo joto la mwili la washiriki lilivyoongezeka pia. Utafiti huo ulionyesha kuwa watu walio na unyogovu walikuwa na joto la mwili lililoinuka, haswa usiku, wakati majibu ya baridi ya mwili ya thermoregulatory ni muhimu kwa kulala na ubora wa usingizi. Takwimu kutoka kwa kifaa cha kupima joto la mwili pia zilionyesha mwenendo wa alama za juu za unyogovu kwa watu ambao joto la mwili lilikuwa na mabadiliko machache kwa masaa 24. Hata hivyo, ugunduzi huu haukufikia umuhimu. Utafiti huo pia ulionyesha kuwa hali ya joto la mwili kwa watu wenye ugonjwa wa kushuka moyo iliboresha baada ya kupona kwao kutoka kwa unyogovu. Hata hivyo, utafiti huo haujataja ikiwa kushuka moyo huongeza joto la mwili au joto la juu husababisha kushuka moyo. Pia haijulikani kama joto la mwili la juu zaidi lililoandikwa kwa watu walio na unyogovu linaonyesha kupungua kwa uwezo wa kujipunguza, au kuongezeka kwa uzalishaji wa joto kutoka kwa michakato ya kimetaboliki, au mchanganyiko wa yote mawili. Ashley Mason, msomi wa PhD, ambaye alikuwa mwandishi mkuu wa utafiti huo na profesa msaidizi wa magonjwa ya akili katika idara ya UC San Francisco Neurosciences, alisema matokeo ya utafiti huo yanaangazia jinsi matibabu mapya ya unyogovu yanaweza kufanya kazi. Uchunguzi wa awali unaonyesha kwamba kutumia bafu za kuogelea au sauna inaweza kupunguza dalili za kushuka moyo. Hii huenda ikawa hutokea kwa kuchochea mwili kujipunguza, kwa mfano, kupitia kuoga. Ingawa huenda ikaonekana kuwa jambo la kushangaza, kuwapa watu joto kwa njia hizo kunaweza kusababisha joto la mwili kupungua. Hii hudumu kwa muda mrefu kuliko kupoza mwili moja kwa moja kupitia mbinu kama vile kuoga kwa barafu. Utafiti huo ni wa kwanza na mkubwa zaidi kuwahi kufanywa katika historia ya utafiti wa utafiti wa uhusiano kati ya joto la mwili na unyogovu. Kwa kuzingatia ongezeko la viwango vya unyogovu, utafiti huu unaonyesha matumaini kuelekea mbinu mpya na zenye ufanisi za matibabu yake.