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Selective Thermal Stimulation Delays the Progression of Vasoconstriction During Body Cooling
Laura H Namisnak1, Sepideh Khoshnevis1, Kenneth R Diller1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton Street Stop C0800, Austin, TX 78712.
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to test the feasibility of selective thermal stimulation (STS) as a method to upregulate glabrous skin blood flow. STS is accomplished by mild surface heating along the spinal cord. Four healthy subjects were tested in this study. Each participated in a control experiment and an intervention experiment (STS). Both experiments included establishing a maximum level of vasodilation, considered unique to a subject on a test day, and then cooling to a maximum level of vasoconstriction. Perfusion was measured by a laser Doppler flow probe on the index fingertip. The percent of perfusion in the range of minimum to maximum was the primary outcome variable. The data were fit to a linear mixed effects model to determine if STS had a significant influence on perfusion during whole body cooling. STS had a statistically significant effect on perfusion and increased glabrous skin blood flow by 16.3% (P < 0.001, CI (13.1%, 19.5%)) as skin temperature was decreased. This study supports the theory that STS improves the heat exchanger efficiency of palmar and plantar surfaces by increasing the blood flow.
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