Our brain develops a much higher temperature than we thought
New research reveals
The average temperature in the human body is below 37 degrees Celsius, however, an organ that works non-stop, develops a temperature that for the rest of the body would be considered a fever. The reason for our brain, which according to new research can develop in some parts of the temperature up to 40 degrees Celsius.
The researchers point out that this temperature is not a sign of damage but an indication that the brain is functioning normally. In addition, they believe they can use unusual heat measurements to detect signs of damage or disturbance.
For me, the biggest surprise of the study was that a healthy human brain can reach temperatures we consider a fever anywhere else in the body. Such temperatures have been recorded in people with brain damage in the past, but we assumed it was the result of trauma. – John O’Neill, Medical Research Council of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in the United Kingdom
The team used the MRS technique to measure chemical data via magnetic fields (non-surgical) in 40 healthy volunteers aged 20 to 40 years. In addition, they combined this data with the circadian rhythms and the time of day. They found that the average brain temperature was 38.5 degrees Celsius and the changes were identified based on the time of day, the area of the brain, the age and the sex of the participants.
Women had a warmer brain than men by 0.4 degrees Celsius, while the highest temperature recorded was 40.9 degrees Celsius. Temperature changes during the day ranged from 1 degree Celsius, with the outer layers of the brain being the coldest.
We found that the brain temperature drops the night before we go to sleep and rises during the day. There is reason to believe that this daily variation is related to the overall health of the brain and this is something we will investigate shortly.
The research was published in Brain .
