A new study shows for the first time that the perception of different temperatures occurs through different pathways in the brain. (Image credit: cometary via Getty Images)
For the first time, scientists have fully uncovered the sensory pathway that allows the skin to transmit temperature data to the brain. They found that there is a separate, specialized pathway for perceiving cold temperatures, suggesting that the body has different circuits for recognizing heat and cold.
The study, published July 28 in the journal Nature Communications, is the first to describe a cold-sensing circuit that begins in the skin and ends in the brain. The team followed this “circuit” in mice to gain a deeper understanding of how cold stimuli on the skin are converted into information the brain can perceive and respond to. Similar temperature circuits likely exist in humans, the researchers say.
“This study represents an important turning point in our understanding of sensory perception,” said study co-author Bo Duan, a molecular, cellular and developmental biologist at the University of Michigan.
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