title: Using thermographic cameras to investigate eye temperature and clinical severity in depression.
abstract: Previous studies suggest that altered corneal temperature may be a feature of schizophrenia, but the association between major depressive disorder (MDD) and corneal temperature has yet to be assessed. The aim of this study is to investigate whether eye temperature is different among MDD patients than among healthy individuals. We used a thermographic camera to measure and compare the temperature profile across the corneas of 16 patients with MDD and 16 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. We found that the average corneal temperature between the two groups did not differ statistically, although clinical severity correlated positively with right corneal temperature. Corneal temperature may be an indicator of clinical severity in psychiatric disorders, including depression.
authors.affiliation: The Alfred and Monash University Central Clinical School, Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Jerome J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Maller
authors.affiliation: LaTrobe University, School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Department of Electronic Engineering, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Shefin Sam
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: George
authors.affiliation: LaTrobe University, School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Department of Electronic Engineering, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Rekha Puzhavakkathumadom
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Viswanathan
authors.affiliation: The Alfred and Monash University Central Clinical School, Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.affiliation: LaTrobe University, School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Department of Electronic Engineering, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Junor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003315:Cornea / Q000502:physiology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013817:Thermography / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult