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The neuronal circuits and cellular encoding of thermosensation
Mario Carta1, Mikkel Vestergaard2, James F A Poulet3,4
1Institut Interdisciplinaire de Neurosciences, CNRS UMR 5297, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France. mario.carta@u-bordeaux.fr.
Nature Reviews. Neuroscience
|December 5, 2025
Summary
Neural circuits for thermal perception are complex, integrating multisensory information for body temperature regulation and harm avoidance. Recent studies reveal fast, sensitive thermosensation principles across species.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Biology
- Thermosensation
Background:
- Neural circuits for thermal information are crucial for somatosensation, thermoregulation, and avoiding harm.
- Thermosensation, once thought slow, is now understood as a rapid sensory system with complex integration and illusion capabilities.
- Understanding thermal perception circuits is less advanced than other sensory systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in innocuous thermal processing and perception.
- To identify wiring principles and cellular encoding of temperature in mammals and insects.
- To explore differences in warm and cool perception and neural encoding.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent research on thermal sensory processing.
- Comparative analysis of neural circuit wiring and cellular encoding across species.
- Examination of multisensory integration and sensory illusions in thermosensation.
Main Results:
- Thermosensation is a fast, sensitive system, not merely modulatory.
- Complex features like multisensory integration and sensory illusions are present.
- Distinct differences exist in the neural perception and encoding of warm and cool stimuli.
- Principles of thermal system wiring and temperature encoding are being elucidated across diverse species.
Conclusions:
- The thermal system serves as an excellent model for studying sensory perception mechanisms.
- Further research can advance understanding of neural mechanisms underlying sensory perception and guided behaviors.
- Comparative studies across mammals and insects reveal conserved and divergent principles in thermal processing.
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