Cutaneous vascular and sweating responses to tympanic and skin temperatures.

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Nude subjects were placed alternately in cool and warm climate chambers. Continuous measurements were made of cutaneous volume pulses in 5 areas, sweating in 8 areas, tympanic membrane temperature (Ttm) and oral temperature (To). A weighted mean skin temperature (Tms) was electronically computed from temperature of 12 skin areas. Ttm and Tms were independently varied to evaluate their relative importance in control of sudomotor and vasomotor responses. With Tms constant at levels between 33-34 C, Ttm was raised as much as .3 C without appearance of sweating. With Ttm decreased, Tms was raised with full sweat recruitment. With Tms constant at 37 C and Ttm elevated above control levels, complete sweat recruitment and large volume pulse amplitudes were observed. Under these conditions, Tms was rapidly lowered, resulting in inhibition, but not cessation, of sweating and some reduction in volume pulse amplitudes. With Ttm maintained above control levels, sweating was fully suppressed when Tms rapidly fell. These results during non-steady states indicate that neither Ttm nor Tms may be considered solely responsible for onset or cessation of thermolytic processes. However, both have relevance to central nervous control of body temperature.

This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit: