Sensing warm and cool: how the body detects temperature changes - News - The University of Queensland

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Sensing warm and cool: how the body detects temperature changes

17 July 2026

Researchers examined how thousands of thermoreceptor nerve cells responded to cool and warm temperatures.<br>(Photo credit: Dr Phill Bokiniec, The University of Queensland

New research has challenged what scientists understand about how the body’s nervous system senses warm and cool temperatures.<br>University of Queensland researchers found most of the skin’s temperature sensitive nerve cells can sense both cool and warmth, challenging a widely accepted view that skin relies on separate nerve cells to detect each temperature.<br>Dr Clarissa Whitmire, from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute , said these specialised nerve cells, called thermoreceptors, are critical to human survival.<br>“Thermoreceptors are the body’s first responders, detecting and relaying to the brain what is happening at the body’s surface,” Dr Whitmire said.<br>“Our study shows that rather than relying on 2 separate nerve cells to sense warmth and cool, the body’s thermoreceptors can signal both sensations to the brain – increasing activity in cooler conditions and decreasing when temperatures rise.<br>“These findings could help explain what happens when the body’s thermoreceptors become impaired in ageing and disease.”<br>Using advanced imaging in mice models, researchers tracked how thousands of thermoreceptor cells responded to cool and warm temperatures.<br>The study focused on every day, ordinary non-painful temperatures such as entering cold rooms, or warm bathwater.<br>Dr Phill Bokiniec from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute, said this new understanding of the body’s thermoreceptors could inform treatments for people struggling with thermal dysfunction.<br>“Humans tightly regulate their core body temperature, making accurate temperature sensing critical to homeostasis – the body's ability to maintain a stable internal environment,” Dr Bokiniec said.<br>“People living with spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, diabetes or peripheral neuropathy can lose aspects of thermal sensors, making it difficult to respond to environmental temperature changes.<br>“Ageing is also a significant concern – older adults are at risk in heat waves and climate change - and disrupted thermal sensors may contribute to why they struggle to regulate temperature.”<br>Dr Whitmire said researchers further wanted to understand if impaired thermoreceptors were an early indicator of degeneration in the body, similarly to how hearing loss has been linked to dementia.<br>“Our hope is our research will change the way the body’s thermoreceptors are understood, which is critical to developing effective therapies,’’ she said.<br>“This is important because if treatments target the wrong nerve cells or pathways, they simply won’t work.”<br>Read the research in Neuron.

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