Non-technical summaryIn adult animals serotonergic neurones contribute to heat production (thermogenesis) in response to severe cold stress, as well as the respiratory response to increasing carbon dioxide. We show that in neonatal life, serotonin in the brainstem is absolutely essential for the thermogenic and heart rate responses to very mild (5°C) environmental cooling, probably by aiding the response of the sympathetic nervous system. In contrast, the respiratory response to increasing carbon dioxide is unaffected by a 90% loss of serotonin. Human infants with brainstem serotonin deficiency may be prone to a variety of homeostatic deficits owing to a reduced sympathetic response to mild cold stress.
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