Brown fat activity deepens depression: True or false?

Abstract

Circadian clocks have evolved a slowing-down mechanism. Temperature may be the original and universal time-giver to the organism. Brown adipose tissue generates heat and guides the circadian rhythm of core body temperature. The cryptochrome proteins regulate the temperature entrainability, and their dysfunction may let the activation of brown adipose tissue affect the brain more easily. Therefore, the activity of brown adipose tissue may compromise the slowing-down mechanism and thereby contribute to the emergence of mood disorders and the increase in suicide mortality around the time of puberty.

Keywords: Behavior; circadian; cryptochrome; diurnal; mood; seasonal; suicide; temperature.