A brain-body perspective on thermoregulatory adaptation

Abstract

Homeothermic animals, including humans, regulate their body temperature within a narrow range to maintain physiological functions and survival. However, this refined thermoregulatory control is often challenged by external, physiological, and psychogenic stressors. Changes in external temperatures drive both behavioral and physiological responses required to maintain normothermia, while immune insults or negative energy balance can lead to regulated shifts in thermoregulatory set-points that support physiological adaptation to these adverse conditions. In this review, we dissect brain-body interactions required for thermoregulatory control and examine how coordination between the peripheral and central systems produces adaptive changes in the thermoregulatory system that enable survival.