Do you feel like your brain is overheating? This is a good sign! The average temperature of the brain is 38.5 degrees Celsius, according to a new study published June 13 in the journal Brain Communications. However, some deep regions of brain tissue can reach temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or more, especially during the daytime in women’s brains. Brain temperatures were higher than some previous studies had suggested. Such temperatures ensure that the brain can function properly.
Biologist John O’Neill, co-author of the study, said: “I think the most surprising thing is that a healthy human brain can reach temperatures that would be diagnosed as fever anywhere else in the body.”
Scientists at the MRC Molecular Biology Laboratory in the UK used nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for the study. The technology helps analyze brain tissue and detect possible tumors. The study involved 40 participants between the ages of 20 and 40. In addition to concluding that the average brain temperature was 38.5 degrees Celsius, the researchers also found that the average brain temperature of women was 0.4 degrees Celsius higher than that of men. The temperature of the female brain can reach 40.9 degrees Celsius, which is related to the menstrual cycle.
Overall, the temperature of brain tissue varies by about 1 degree Celsius at different times of the day. “We found that the temperature of brain tissue begins to drop at night before sleep, and gradually rises during the day,” O’Neill noted. However, this ability to change deteriorates with age.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings