The New Mind-Body Science of Depression

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  Rhonda Patrick

  “Dr. Raison and his colleagues have demonstrated some promising evidence that a technique called whole-body hyperthermia has the potential for real-world clinical efficacy as a tool in the fight against major depression. In Dr. Raison’s randomized, double-blind study published in JAMA in 2016, it was shown that a single session of whole-body hyperthermia (core body temperature was elevated to 38.5 C) produced a significant antidepressant effect in people with major depressive disorder compared to those who received a sham control. The improvements were apparent within a week of treatment and persisted for six weeks after treatment. But what is responsible for this antidepressant effect? In a previous episode of the podcast, we learned that sauna use seems to share many qualities of exercise, including improvements in arterial compliance, elevations in heart rate that reach levels you might see in aerobic exercise. Moreover, sauna use has been shown to be associated with reductions in heart-related mortality, dementia and more. The impact of heat stress on the behavior of our immune system through transient alterations in the cytokines expressed by our tissues may be one more area where we can see some overlap.”↗