Preferred ambient temperature for old and young men in summer and winter

Natsume, Keiko; Ogawa, Tokuo; Sugenoya, Junichi; Ohnishi, Norikazu; Imai, Kazuno

doi:10.1007/bf01208726

Cited by 120 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Because of sweat production, dehydration typically accompanies heat stress and subsequent increases in body temperature (8,45,68). Notably, mild dehydration (i.e., Յ2% body weight loss) is usually associated with impairments in various aspects of cognitive function, including aspects of attention (5), memory (7,15,20), and executive function (6,7,20).…”

Section: Other Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive and perceptual responses during passive heat stress in younger and older adults

Schlader

Gagnon

Adams

et al. 2015

American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comp

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We tested the hypothesis that attention, memory, and executive function are impaired to a greater extent in passively heat-stressed older adults than in passively heatstressed younger adults. In a randomized, crossover design, 15 older (age: 69 Ϯ 5 yr) and 14 younger (age: 30 Ϯ 4 yr) healthy subjects underwent passive heat stress and time control trials. Cognitive tests (outcomes: accuracy and reaction time) from the CANTAB battery evaluated attention [rapid visual processing (RVP), choice reaction time (CRT)], memory [spatial span (SSP), pattern recognition memory (PRM)], and executive function [one touch stockings of Cambridge (OTS)]. Testing was undertaken on two occasions during each trial, at baseline and after internal temperature had increased by 1.0 Ϯ 0.2°C or after a time control period. For tests that measured attention, reaction time during RVP and CRT was slower (P Յ 0.01) in the older group. During heat stress, RVP reaction time improved (P Ͻ 0.01) in both groups. Heat stress had no effect (P Ն 0.09) on RVP or CRT accuracy in either group. For tests that measured memory, accuracy on SSP and PRM was lower (P Ͻ 0.01) in the older group, but there was no effect of heat stress (P Ն 0.14). For tests that measured executive function, overall, accuracy on OTS was lower, and reaction time was slower in the older group (P Յ 0.05). Reaction time generally improved during heat stress, but there was no effect of heat stress on accuracy in either group. These data indicate that moderate increases in body temperature during passive heat stress do not differentially compromise cognitive function in younger and older adults. cognitive function; aging; hyperthermia; thermal comfort ADULTS OVER THE AGE OF ϳ65 YR are at an increased risk of illness, injury, hospitalization, and death during heat waves (23, 29, 33-36, 63, 64). Age-related impairments in physiological responses to heat stress undoubtedly contribute to this increased risk (32). Heat-stressed older adults have attenuated increases in skin blood flow (30, 31) and sweating (26, 27), as well as impaired cardiovascular adjustments (42, 43). However, both physiological and psychological states influence health and safety (52, 53). Thus, a variety of factors may mediate the deleterious outcomes observed in the older population during heat waves.Healthy aging is associated with a general cognitive decline (49). Aspects of memory (4, 10, 12), attention (1, 12, 40), executive functioning (12,58,60), and processing speed (59) are typically [but not always (37, 48)] impaired with advancing age. This chronological cognitive decline may contribute to the risk of deleterious outcomes during heat waves in older adults by, for instance, leading to poor decision-making. Interestingly, perhaps because of the deleterious impact of heat stress on cerebral blood flow (46, 61) and/or disruptions in cerebral functional connectivity (66), many cognitive processes are impaired in heat-stressed younger adults [e.g., aspects of attention (19, 22, 65), memory (6, 19, 28, 41, 54), an...

show abstract

Section: Other Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive and perceptual responses during passive heat stress in younger and older adults

Schlader

Gagnon

Adams

et al. 2015

American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comp

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…An age-related decline in thermoregulatory sweating further compromises heat loss and increases thermal strain in warm ambient conditions and during exercise. Reduced evaporative heat loss from the skin surface results from a decline in thermoregulatory sweating, due to a decreased thermal sensitivity (32) and atrophy of the sweat glands (17,19), producing a lower sweat output per gland (23,24,39).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Nonuniform, age-related decrements in regional sweating and skin blood flow

Smith

Alexander

Kenney

2013

American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comp

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Smith CJ, Alexander LM, Kenney WL. Nonuniform, age-related decrements in regional sweating and skin blood flow. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 305: R877-R885, 2013. First published August 7, 2013 doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00290.2013.-Aging is associated with attenuated thermoregulatory function that varies regionally over the body. Decrements in vasodilation and sweating are well documented with age, yet limited data are available concerning the regional relation between these responses. We aimed to examine age-related alterations in the relation between regional sweating (RSR) and skin blood flow (SkBF) to thermal and pharmacological stimuli. Four microdialysis fibers were inserted in the ventral forearm, abdomen, thigh, and lower back of eight healthy aged subjects (64 Ϯ 7 yr) and nine young (23 Ϯ 3 yr) during 1) ACh dose response (1 ϫ 10 Ϫ7 to 0.1 M, mean skin temperature 34°C) and 2) passive whole body heating to ⌬1°C rise in oral temperature (Tor). RSR and SkBF were measured over each microdialysis membrane using ventilated capsules and laser-Doppler flowmetry. Maximal SkBF was measured at the end of both protocols (50 mM SNP). Regional sweating thresholds and RSR were attenuated in aged vs. young at all sites (P Ͻ 0.0001) during whole body heating. Vasodilation thresholds were similar between groups (P Ͼ 0.05). Attenuated SkBF were observed at the arm and back in the aged, representing 56 and 82% of those in the young at these sites, respectively (0.5 ⌬Tor). During ACh perfusion, SkBF (P ϭ 0.137) and RSR were similar between groups (P ϭ 0.326). Together these findings suggest regional age-related decrements in heat-activated sweat gland function but not cholinergic sensitivity. Functional consequences of such thermoregulatory impairment include the compromised ability of older individuals to defend core temperature during heat exposure and a subsequently greater susceptibility to heat-related illness and injury.sweating; aging; laser-Doppler flowmetry; skin blood flow; sweating HUMAN AGING IS ASSOCIATED with altered thermoregulatory function during both passive and exercise-induced hyperthermia, including attenuated reflex cutaneous vasodilation (26) and eccrine sweating responses (3,18,24). A functional loss of active cholinergic vasodilation cotransmitter function and dysfunction of second-messenger pathways (i.e., nitric oxide bioavailability) (8,11,12,31) contribute to attenuated cutaneous vasodilatory responses to elevations in core temperature (T core ), hindering convective heat loss. An age-related decline in thermoregulatory sweating further compromises heat loss and increases thermal strain in warm ambient conditions and during exercise. Reduced evaporative heat loss from the skin surface results from a decline in thermoregulatory sweating, due to a decreased thermal sensitivity (32) and atrophy of the sweat glands (17, 19), producing a lower sweat output per gland (23,24,39).Regional variation in sweating and skin blood flow (SkBF) responses to passive heating are well documented (29); howev...

show abstract

“…The elderly who are less cognizant of changes in environmental temperature may fail to make appropriate behavioral modifications to prevent hypothermia. The thermal insensitivity of the elderly has been well documented (Collins et al, 1981;Edholm, 1978;Natsume et al, 1992;Watts, 1971). Cowburn and Fox (1974) observed that older individuals are less able to discriminate between temperature differences than young adults.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In particular, it is important to investigate comfort zones for the elderly (Collins et al, 1981;Tochihara et al, 1993) as the elderly may be more susceptible to hypothermia during periods of endogenous and/or exogenous thermal stress (Anderson et al, 1996). The reduced thermoregulatory responses and reduced functions of thermal perception in the aged may blunt their thermoregulatory behavior to cold stress, and thus facilitate the onset of hypothermia in daily life (Natsume et al, 1992). In general, it has been considered that the elderly prefer higher indoor temperatures in winter, but this is still controversial.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does Wearing Thermal Underwear in Mild Cold Affect Skin Temperatures and Perceived Thermal Sensation in the Hands and Feet of the Elderly?

Lee

Kim

Jeong-Wha

et al. 2008

J Physiol Anthropol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The present study was to investigate whether increasing thermal insulation affects thermal sensation in the hands and feet; and whether aging is an influential factor in the relationship between thermal responses and subjective thermal perceptions. Six young males (YM), 5 young females (YF), 6 elderly males (OM), and 6 elderly females (OF) volunteered as subjects. Subjects conducted two trials at a constant air temperature of 19°C: One condition included thermal underwear (19CUW) while the other did not (19C). The results showed that (1) rectal temperature (T re ) did not show any significant differences between conditions with and without thermal underwear. The T re of the OF was greater than that of the YF (pϽ0.05) for the 19C condition, while the young and elderly male groups showed similar values. (2) The hand and foot skin temperatures (T hand , T foot ) were greater in the OF than in the YF group for the 19C condition ( pϽ0.001). (3) For overall thermal sensation, the OF group was less sensitive to differences between the 19CUW and 19C condition, when compared with the old male and young groups. (4) For thermal sensation in the hands and feet, the elderly groups were less sensitive than the YF. In particular, all elderly females felt the hands were thermally neutral, even in the 19C condition. (5) Hand thermal sensation for the OF group appeared to be irrelevant to T hand . (6) Thermal preference of the elderly groups did not change significantly after adding thermal underwear compared to the young group. In conclusion, wearing thermal underwear in mild cold did not affect local skin temperatures and thermal sensation in the hands and feet for the elderly male and female groups. Adding thermal underwear in mild cold affected the hand skin temperature and thermal sensation of the young female group. In particular, elderly females had specific features concerning local skin temperatures and thermal sensations distinguished from elderly males and young groups.

show abstract

Preferred ambient temperature for old and young men in summer and winter

Cited by 120 publications

References 7 publications

Cognitive and perceptual responses during passive heat stress in younger and older adults

Cognitive and perceptual responses during passive heat stress in younger and older adults

Nonuniform, age-related decrements in regional sweating and skin blood flow

Does Wearing Thermal Underwear in Mild Cold Affect Skin Temperatures and Perceived Thermal Sensation in the Hands and Feet of the Elderly?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About