Burning Question: How Does Our Brain Process Positive and Negative Cues Associated with Thermosensation?

Publisher: International Union of Physiological Sciences Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101208185 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1548-9221 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 15489221 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Physiology (Bethesda) Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Bethesda, MD : International Union of Physiological Sciences : American Physiological Society, c2004-

Thermosensing*/physiology ; Brain*/physiology ; Body Temperature Regulation*/physiology ; Cues*; Humans ; Animals ; Pain/physiopathology ; Thermogenesis/physiology

Whether it is the dramatic suffocating sensation from a heat wave in the summer or the positive reinforcement arising from a hot drink on a cold day; we can certainly agree that our thermal environment underlies our daily rhythms of sensation. Extensive research has focused on deciphering the central circuits responsible for conveying the impact of thermogenesis on mammalian behavior. Here, we revise the recent literature responsible for defining the behavioral correlates that arise from thermogenic fluctuations in mammals. We transition from the physiological significance of thermosensation to the circuitry responsible for the autonomic or behavioral responses associated with it. Subsequently, we delve into the positive and negative valence encoded by thermoregulatory processes. Importantly, we emphasize the crucial junctures where reward, pain, and thermoregulation intersect, unveiling a complex interplay within these neural circuits. Finally, we briefly outline fundamental questions that are pending to be addressed in the field. Fully deciphering the thermoregulatory circuitry in mammals will have far-reaching medical implications. For instance, it may lead to the identification of novel targets to overcome thermal pain or allow the maintenance of our core temperature in prolonged surgeries.

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DK1208689 HHS | NIH | NIDDK | Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (DEM); E. Matilda Ziegler Foundation for the Blind (EMZ Foundation); McCluskey Family; Interstellar Initiative New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS)

Keywords: brain; homeostasis; pain; reward; thermoregulation

Date Created: 20240327 Date Completed: 20240515 Latest Revision: 20241011

20241012

PMC11368520

10.1152/physiol.00034.2023

38536114