Cooling core body temperature may slow down neurodegeneration.

Reduction of core body temperature has been proposed to contribute to the increased lifespan and the anti-aging effects conferred by caloric restriction in mice and higher primates. Cooler biologically compatible core body temperatures have also been hypothesized to combat neurodegenerative disorders. Yet, validation of these hypotheses has been difficult until recently, when it demonstrated that transgenic mice engineered to have chronic low core body temperature have longer lifespan independent of alteration in diet or caloric restriction. This article reviews the literature and highlights the potential influence of core body temperature's governing role on aging and in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders in humans. What makes recent findings more significant for humans is the existence of several methods to lower and maintain low core body temperatures in human subjects. The therapeutic potential of "cooler people" may also raise the possibility that this could reverse the adverse-health consequences of elevations in core body temperature.

Brain temperature may influence mood: a hypothesis.

Lowering core body and brain temperature has been shown to be beneficial for multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular accidents, traumatic brain injuries and myocardial infarction. Svante Arrhenius' rate law governs human thermoregulation and all biochemical reactions including complex chemical processes involved in mood disorders. We reviewed the studies on core body and brain temperature's influence on mood, mood disorders and their treatment. Our review suggests the majority of therapeutic strategies against mania are hypothermic while thermogenic strategies are used to combat depressive disorders. We hypothesize that therapeutic manipulation of brain temperature may represent a key mechanism in the treatment of mood disorders possibly because of brain temperature's profound influence on human biology governed by Svante Arrhenius' rate law. We postulate that brain temperature may rise with mania and fall with depression.

Cooler biologically compatible core body temperatures may prolong longevity and combat neurodegenerative disorders.

Scientific evidence suggests the critical role of temperature in regulating three mechanisms contributing to cellular damage: Oxidative stress, oxygen demand overload and inflammation. In this article, we propose that the Arrhenius rate law has a profound impact on aging and a variety of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease, and we review the supporting evidence. Published studies suggest empirical correlations between temperature and lifespan of various organisms, bolstering the hypothesis that variations in lifespan may stem from differences in the mitochondrial production rates of radicals - a process also influenced by temperature. Given the exponential temperature dependency of all biochemical factors, cooler body temperatures may promote longevity and combat neurodegenerative disorders. This promises to offer extraordinary yet unexplored weapons against two formidable enemies of the human body: aging and neurodegenerative disorders. Stated in the form of a thesis referred to as Salerian and Saleri Temperature Thesis (SSTT): "Cooler biologically compatible core body temperatures prolong lifespan and are of value to combat illness". Double blind studies of SSTT in therapeutic strategies against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or early-stage Alzheimer's disease may offer a reasonable first stage to validate SSTT. In view of the known rapid progressive neurodegeneration associated with ALS, minute variations in core body temperature may, in fact, demonstrate statistically significant differences in disease progression.