Abstract
Objectives: Accumulating evidence suggests that individuals with depression are characterised by difficulties in thermoregulatory cooling. The aim of this study was to investigate, for the first time, whether depressed individuals are aware of these alterations, what their physical consequences are and whether they may be rooted in early life stress.Methods: A total of N = 672 medically healthy individuals from the general population were recruited to participate in an online survey. Participants were divided into depressed vs. non-depressed using the Patient Health Questionnaire. Experienced autonomic and behavioural thermoregulation as well as vigilance problems in response to temperature increases were assessed by the Experienced Temperature Sensitivity and Regulation Survey. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire was administered to assess early life stress.Results: Controlling for age, sex, body mass index, and physical activity, depressed vs. non-depressed individuals did not differ in their experienced autonomic and behavioural responses to temperature increases. However, the depressed individuals reported comparably greater difficulties in concentrating and drowsiness/fatigue in warm environments (p = 0.029), during physical exertion (p = 0.029), and during stress (p < 0.001). There were no differences in the experienced thermoregulation between depressed individuals with vs. without early life stress.Conclusions: Depressed individuals experienced more severe physical impairments (i.e., greater vigilance problems) in response to intense warmth when compared to non-depressed individuals. These differences were not attributable to comorbid illnesses, the intake of medication, or physical deconditioning. Further enquiries in clinical populations are warranted to investigate to what extent the observed alterations map onto specific symptoms of depression (e.g., sleep disturbances).
Highlights
Accumulating evidence suggests that individuals with depressive disorders are affected by altered thermoregulation, and in particular by difficulties in thermoregulatory cooling [see [1] for a review]
In persons with depressive disorders, attenuated functioning of the sympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system has been found as compared with healthy controls [see [4]]
There were no differences in the experienced thermoregulation between depressed individuals with vs. without early life stress
Summary
Accumulating evidence suggests that individuals with depressive disorders are affected by altered thermoregulation, and in particular by difficulties in thermoregulatory cooling [see [1] for a review]. Thermoregulation can be governed by the autonomic nervous system and/or by behaviour. Autonomic thermoregulation is governed by the preoptic area of the hypothalamus, and, in the case of temperature increases, involves the withdrawal of vasoconstriction, the initiation of vasodilation, Frontiers in Psychiatry | www.frontiersin.org von Salis et al. Experienced Thermoregulation in Depression and sweating [2]. There is evidence for reduced sweating [5] as well as increased oral temperature [e.g., [6]]. These findings support the notion of impaired thermoregulatory cooling in this population. To date, nothing is known about whether depressed individuals are aware of these alterations, how they are affected by them, and what factors contribute to this phenomenon
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