X-Message-Number: 12231
Date: Sun, 8 Aug 1999 09:31:50 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: face temperature and thermal stress

Authors
  Katsuura T.  Tomioka K.  Harada H.  Iwanaga K.  Kikuchi Y.
Institution
  Department of Ergonomics, Chiba University.
Title
  Effects of cooling
  portions of the head on
  human thermoregulatory response.
Source
  Applied Human Science.  15(2):67-74, 1996 Mar.
Abstract
  Seven healthy young male students participated in this study. Each subject
  sat on a chair in an anteroom at 25 degrees C for 30 min and
  then entered a climatic chamber, controlled at 40 degrees C
  and R.H. 50%, and sat on a chair for 90 min. Cooling of
  frontal portion including the region around
  the eyes (FC), occipital portion (OC), and temporal portion
  (TC) began after 50 min of entering. An experiment without
  head cooling (NC) was also made for
  the control measurement. Thermal comfort
  and thermal sensation were improved by head
  cooling, but response was the same
  regardless of portion cooled. Although rectal temperature, mean skin
  temperature and heart rate showed no significant effect due to
  head cooling, forearm skin blood flow
  (FBF), sweat rate (SR), and body weight loss (delta Wt) had a tendency to be
  depressed. FBF in FC and TC decreased during head
  cooling, but that in OC and NC did not change significantly,
  while SR in FC was depressed. delta Wt showed total sweating to decrease by
  FC and TC, and FC to have greater inhibitory effect on sweating than OC.
  Thermal strain was evaluated by the
  modified Craig Index (I(s)). I(s) in FC decreased significantly more than in
  NC. Cooling of other
  portions of the head had
  no significant effect on I(s). Cooling of
  the frontal portion of the
  head may thus be concluded to have the most
  effect on thermoregulatory response in a hot environment.

  Additional commentby poster:

    An interesting experiment for determining temperature sensitivity of
  the face. 

  1. Go outside and get hot.
  2. Splash some cold water on some area of the body desides the face.
  3. Note sensations.
  4. Repeat 2 & 3 for face.
  5. Note the difference in effectiveness for facial cooling.
     It is huge!

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