Whole-Body Hyperthermia for Mood and Anxiety Disorders

We are studying a new rapid-acting treatment for depression and anxiety.  The purpose of this study is to learn how whole-body hyperthermia may work to decrease feelings of depression and anxiety. Our study involves filling out survey questionnaires and spending time in a sauna; we may also measure your brain activity through EEG and MRI. We are enrolling healthy adults as well as individuals with major depression and postpartum depression. We know that this treatment works well in adults with depression, but we do not know how it works.  We also want to find out if postpartum individuals will find this treatment acceptable, and whether the way it works may be different in postpartum individuals from other people.  This research study is being done because we do not have very many treatments for depression or anxiety that work quickly.  If we could learn more about how this treatment works, we might be able to develop other treatments to help people with depression or anxiety get better quickly. If you are interested in participating this study, feel free to reach out to us: pippilab@med.cornell.edu