Thermoregulatory Dysregulation as a Core Axis in Mood Disorders: A Multisystem Framework

This paper proposes a novel, integrative model for understanding mood disorders—particularly anxiety and depression—through the lens of thermoregulatory dysregulation. Drawing on insights from genetics (e.g., FTO and UCP1 variants), neurophysiology (BNST, HPA axis), clinical interventions (e.g., whole-body hyperthermia), linguistic patterns (thermal metaphors), and subjective experiences of time, we outline a cohesive framework that positions thermal state as a regulatory axis of affect. This approach neither replaces neurochemical theories nor relies on reductive explanations, but offers a layered model unifying previously disparate findings. We conclude with experimental proposals that can validate or refine this paradigm and suggest its potential as a new field: psychothermology.