Skin and core temperature response to partial- and whole-body heating and cooling

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2004.08.024
• Publication Date: 2004-09-25T03:13:32Z
• Authors: Charlie Huizenga; Hui Zhang; Edward Arens; Danni Wang
• Keywords: Skin Temperature; Thermal sensation; Core temperature

Abstract 1. Human subjects were exposed to partial- and whole-body heating and cooling in a controlled environmental chamber to quantify physiological and subjective responses to thermal asymmetries and transients. 2. Skin temperatures, core temperature, thermal sensation, and comfort responses were collected for 19 local body parts and for the whole body. 3. Core temperature increased in response to skin cooling and decreased in response to skin heating. 4. Hand and finger temperatures fluctuated significantly when the body was near a neutral thermal state. 5. When using a computer mouse in a cool environment, the skin temperature of the hand using the mouse was observed to be 2–3 °C lower than the unencumbered hand.