scholarly journals Effects of Acute Exercise on Cutaneous Thermal Sensation

Author(s):  
Samuel D. Thomas ◽  
Howard H. Carter ◽  
Helen Jones ◽  
Dick H.J. Thijssen ◽  
David A. Low

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of exercise intensity on the thermal sensory function of active and inactive limbs. In a randomised and counterbalanced manner, 13 healthy young male participants (25 ± 6 years, 1.8 ± 0.1 m, 77 ± 6 kg) conducted: (1) 30-min low-intensity (50% heart rate maximum, HRmax; LOW) and (2) 30-min high-intensity (80% HRmax; HIGH) cycling exercises, and (3) 30 min of seated rest (CONTROL). Before, immediately after, and 1 h after, each intervention, thermal sensory functions of the non-dominant dorsal forearm and posterior calf were examined by increasing local skin temperature (1 °C/s) to assess perceptual heat sensitivity and pain thresholds. Relative to pre-exercise, forearm heat sensitivity thresholds were increased immediately and 1 hr after HIGH, but there were no changes after LOW exercise or during CONTROL (main effect of trial; p = 0.017). Relative to pre-exercise, calf heat sensitivity thresholds were not changed after LOW or HIGH exercise or during CONTROL (main effect of trial; p = 0.629). There were no changes in calf (main effect of trial; p = 0.528) or forearm (main effect of trial; p = 0.088) heat pain thresholds after exercise in either LOW or HIGH or CONTROL. These results suggest that cutaneous thermal sensitivity function of an inactive limb is only reduced after higher intensity exercise but is not changed in a previously active limb after exercise. Exercise does not affect heat pain sensitivity in either active or inactive limbs.

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fong Wong ◽  
Anthony Rodrigues ◽  
Siegfried Schmidt ◽  
Charles J. Vierck ◽  
Andre P. Mauderli

During the course of a psychophysical study of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), one of the subjects with a long history of headache and facial pain displayed an extraordinarily severe thermal allodynia. Her stimulus-response function for ratings of cutaneous heat pain revealed a sensitivity clearly beyond that of normal controls and most FMS subjects. Specially designed psychophysical methods showed that heat sensitivity sometimes increased dramatically within a series of stimuli. Prior exposure to moderate heat pain served as a trigger for allodynic ratings of series of normally neutral thermal stimulation. These observations document a case of breakthrough pain sensitivity with implications for mechanisms of FMS pain.


2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johann P. Kuhtz-Buschbeck ◽  
Wiebke Andresen ◽  
Stephan Göbel ◽  
René Gilster ◽  
Carsten Stick

About four decades ago, Perl and collaborators were the first ones who unambiguously identified specifically nociceptive neurons in the periphery. In their classic work, they recorded action potentials from single C-fibers of a cutaneous nerve in cats while applying carefully graded stimuli to the skin (Bessou P, Perl ER. Response of cutaneous sensory units with unmyelinated fibers to noxious stimuli. J Neurophysiol 32: 1025–1043, 1969). They discovered polymodal nociceptors, which responded to mechanical, thermal, and chemical stimuli in the noxious range, and differentiated them from low-threshold thermoreceptors. Their classic findings form the basis of the present method that undergraduate medical students experience during laboratory exercises of sensory physiology, namely, quantitative testing of the thermal detection and pain thresholds. This diagnostic method examines the function of thin afferent nerve fibers. We collected data from nearly 300 students that showed that 1) women are more sensitive to thermal detection and thermal pain at the thenar than men, 2) habituation shifts thermal pain thresholds during repetititve testing, 3) the cold pain threshold is rather variable and lower when tested after heat pain than in the reverse case (order effect), and 4) ratings of pain intensity on a visual analog scale are correlated with the threshold temperature for heat pain but not for cold pain. Median group results could be reproduced in a retest. Quantitative sensory testing of thermal thresholds is feasible and instructive in the setting of a laboratory exercise and is appreciated by the students as a relevant and interesting technique.


2006 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ragnhild Raak ◽  
Mia Wallin

Thermal sensitivity, thermal pain thresholds, and catastrophizing were examined in individuals with whiplash associated disorders (WAD) and in healthy pain-free participants. Quantitative sensory testing (QST) was used to measure skin sensitivity to cold and warmth and cold and heat pain thresholds over both the thenar eminence and the trapezius muscle (TrM) in 17 participants with WAD (age 50.8± 11.3 years) and 18 healthy participants (age 44.8± 10.2 years). The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) was used to determine pain coping strategies, and visual analogue scales were used for self-assessment of current background pain in individuals in the WAD group as well as experienced pain intensity and unpleasantness after QST and sleep quality in all participants. There were significant differences in warmth threshold and cold and heat pain thresholds of the TrM site between the WAD and pain-free groups. Significant differences between the two groups were also found for the catastrophizing dimension of helplessness in the PCS and in self-assessed quality of sleep. A correlational analysis showed that current background pain is significantly correlated with both cold discrimination and cold pain threshold in the skin over the TrM in individuals with WAD. These findings imply that thermal sensitivity is an important factor to consider in providing nursing care to individuals with WAD. Because biopsychosocial factors also influence the experience of pain in individuals with WAD, the role of nurses includes not only the description of the pain phenomenon but also the identification of relieving and aggravating factors.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 864-872
Author(s):  
Fernanda Borowsky da Rosa ◽  
Adriane Schmidt Pasqualoto ◽  
Catriona M. Steele ◽  
Renata Mancopes

Introduction The oral cavity and pharynx have a rich sensory system composed of specialized receptors. The integrity of oropharyngeal sensation is thought to be fundamental for safe and efficient swallowing. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are at risk for oropharyngeal sensory impairment due to frequent use of inhaled medications and comorbidities including gastroesophageal reflux disease. Objective This study aimed to describe and compare oral and oropharyngeal sensory function measured using noninstrumental clinical methods in adults with COPD and healthy controls. Method Participants included 27 adults (18 men, nine women) with a diagnosis of COPD and a mean age of 66.56 years ( SD = 8.68). The control group comprised 11 healthy adults (five men, six women) with a mean age of 60.09 years ( SD = 11.57). Spirometry measures confirmed reduced functional expiratory volumes (% predicted) in the COPD patients compared to the control participants. All participants completed a case history interview and underwent clinical evaluation of oral and oropharyngeal sensation by a speech-language pathologist. The sensory evaluation explored the detection of tactile and temperature stimuli delivered by cotton swab to six locations in the oral cavity and two in the oropharynx as well as identification of the taste of stimuli administered in 5-ml boluses to the mouth. Analyses explored the frequencies of accurate responses regarding stimulus location, temperature and taste between groups, and between age groups (“≤ 65 years” and “> 65 years”) within the COPD cohort. Results We found significantly higher frequencies of reported use of inhaled medications ( p < .001) and xerostomia ( p = .003) in the COPD cohort. Oral cavity thermal sensation ( p = .009) was reduced in the COPD participants, and a significant age-related decline in gustatory sensation was found in the COPD group ( p = .018). Conclusion This study found that most of the measures of oral and oropharyngeal sensation remained intact in the COPD group. Oral thermal sensation was impaired in individuals with COPD, and reduced gustatory sensation was observed in the older COPD participants. Possible links between these results and the use of inhaled medication by individuals with COPD are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 239
Author(s):  
Dalia Rega ◽  
Mika Aiko ◽  
Nicolás Peñaranda ◽  
Amparo Urios ◽  
Juan-José Gallego ◽  
...  

Cirrhotic patients may experience alterations in the peripheral nervous system and in somatosensory perception. Impairment of the somatosensory system could contribute to cognitive and motor alterations characteristic of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE), which affects up to 40% of cirrhotic patients. We assessed the relationship between MHE and alterations in thermal, vibration, and/or heat pain sensitivity in 58 cirrhotic patients (38 without and 20 with MHE according to Psychometric Hepatic Encephalopathy Score) and 39 controls. All participants underwent attention and coordination tests, a nerve conduction study, autonomic function testing, and evaluation of sensory thresholds (vibration, cooling, and heat pain detection) by electromyography and quantitative sensory testing. The detection thresholds for cold and heat pain on the foot were higher in patients with, than those without MHE. This hyposensitivity was correlated with attention deficits. Reaction times in the foot were longer in patients with, than without MHE. Patients with normal sural nerve amplitude showed altered thermal sensitivity and autonomic function, with stronger alterations in patients with, than in those without MHE. MHE patients show a general decrease in cognitive and sensory abilities. Small fibers of the autonomic nervous system and thermal sensitivity are altered early on in MHE, before large sensory fibers. Quantitative sensory testing could be used as a marker of MHE.


Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 566
Author(s):  
Vanya Y. Draganova ◽  
Hiroki Yokose ◽  
Kazuyo Tsuzuki ◽  
Yuki Nabeshima

A summer field study was conducted in two university dormitories in the Tokai region of Central Japan. The study aimed at understanding the correlation between subjective thermal responses as well as whether nationality was affecting the responses. It was observed that nationality significantly affected thermal sensitivity and preference. The occupants’ acceptance for thermal stress was invariably above 90%. Despite the high levels of humidity observed, the multiple regression model showed that only the indoor air temperature was significant for explaining the variability of thermal sensation for both Japanese and non-Japanese students. The highest probability of voting neutral for university students in dormitory buildings in the Tokai region of Japan was estimated within 24~26.5 °C (by probit analysis). Japanese students were more sensitive to their indoor environment as opposed to the international students. The adjusted linear regression coefficient yielded from the room-wise day-wise averages were 0.48/K and 0.35/K for Japanese sensitivity and international sensitivity, respectively. In our study, the Griffiths’ model of estimating comfort temperature (or thermal neutrality) showed weak predictability and notable differences from the actually voted comfort. The neutral and comfort temperature observed and estimated in the study remained invariably below the recommended temperature threshold for Japan in summer leading to believe that that threshold is worth reevaluating.


2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (3) ◽  
pp. R1335-R1341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krista R. Howarth ◽  
Kirsten A. Burgomaster ◽  
Stuart M. Phillips ◽  
Martin J. Gibala

The branched-chain oxoacid dehydrogenase complex (BCOAD) is rate determining for the oxidation of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in skeletal muscle. Exercise training blunts the acute exercise-induced activation of BCOAD (BCOADa) in human skeletal muscle (McKenzie S, Phillips SM, Carter SL, Lowther S, Gibala MJ, Tarnopolsky MA. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 278: E580–E587, 2000); however, the mechanism is unknown. We hypothesized that training would increase the muscle protein content of BCOAD kinase, the enzyme responsible for inactivation of BCOAD by phosphorylation. Twenty subjects [23 ± 1 yr; peak oxygen uptake (V̇o2peak) = 41 ± 2 ml·kg−1·min−1] performed 6 wk of either high-intensity interval or continuous moderate-intensity training on a cycle ergometer ( n = 10/group). Before and after training, subjects performed 60 min of cycling at 65% of pretraining V̇o2peak, and needle biopsy samples (vastus lateralis) were obtained before and immediately after exercise. The effect of training was demonstrated by an increased V̇o2peak, increased citrate synthase maximal activity, and reduced muscle glycogenolysis during exercise, with no difference between groups (main effects, P < 0.05). BCOADa was lower after training (main effect, P < 0.05), and this was associated with a ∼30% increase in BCOAD kinase protein content (main effect, P < 0.05). We conclude that the increased protein content of BCOAD kinase may be involved in the mechanism for reduced BCOADa after exercise training in human skeletal muscle. These data also highlight differences in models used to study the regulation of skeletal muscle BCAA metabolism, since exercise training was previously reported to increase BCOADa during exercise and decrease BCOAD kinase content in rats (Fujii H, Shimomura Y, Murakami T, Nakai N, Sato T, Suzuki M, Harris RA. Biochem Mol Biol Int 44: 1211–1216, 1998).


1984 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 325-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. E. Torebjork ◽  
R. H. LaMotte ◽  
C. J. Robinson

The peripheral neuronal correlates of heat pain elicited from normal skin and from skin made hyperalgesic following a mild heat injury were studied by simultaneously recording, in humans, evoked responses in C mechanoheat (CMH) nociceptors and the magnitude estimations of pain obtained from the same subjects. Subjects made continuous magnitude ratings of pain elicited by short-duration stimuli of 39-51 degrees C delivered to the hairy skin of the calf or foot before and at varying intervals of time after a heat injury induced by a conditioning stimulus (CS) of 50 degrees C, 100 s or 48 degrees C, 360 s. The stimuli were applied with a thermode pressed against the nociceptor's receptive field. For heat stimulations of normal skin, that is, uninjured skin, pain thresholds in 14 experiments with nine subjects ranged from 41 to 49 degrees C, whereas response thresholds for most of the 14 CMH nociceptors were 41 degrees C (in two cases, 43 degrees C). The latter suggested that spatial summation of input from many nociceptors was necessary at pain threshold. An intensity-response function was obtained for each CMH by relating the total number of nerve impulses evoked per stimulus to stimulus temperature. A corresponding magnitude scaling function for pain was obtained by relating the maximum rating of pain elicited by each stimulus to stimulus temperature. The relation between the subject's scaling function and the intensity-response function of his CMH nociceptor varied somewhat from one experiment to the next, regardless of whether the results were obtained from the same or from different subjects. However, when averages were computed for all 14 tests, there was a near linear relationship between the mean number of impulses elicited in the CMHs and the median ratings of pain, over the range of 45-51 degrees C. It was concluded that the magnitude of heat pain sensation was more closely related to the magnitude of response in a population of CMH nociceptors than in any individual nociceptor. At 0.5 min after the CS, the pain thresholds of most subjects were elevated, and the magnitude ratings of pain elicited by supra-threshold stimuli were lower than pre-CS values (hypoalgesia). Corresponding changes were seen in the increased thresholds and decreased responses (fatigue) of most CMHs. By 5-10 min after the CS, the pain thresholds of most subjects were lower, and their magnitude ratings of suprathreshold stimuli were greater than pre-CS values (hyperalgesia).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


2002 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agn[egrave]s Langlade ◽  
Claire Jussiau ◽  
Laurent Lamonerie ◽  
Emmanuel Marret ◽  
Francis Bonnet

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Breanna Wade ◽  
Paul Loprinzi

Emerging work suggests that acute, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise may help to subserve episodic memory of neutral stimuli. Less investigated, however, is whether acute exercise is associated with enhanced memory recognition of emotional stimuli, which was the purpose of this experiment. A parallel-group randomized controlled experiment was employed. Participants (mean age = 20 yr) were randomized into an exercise (n = 17) or control group (n = 17). The exercise group engaged in a 15-min bout of moderate-intensity treadmill walking. Emotional memory recognition was assessed via images from the International Affective Picture System, including assessments of varying degrees of valence and arousal. Memory recognition was assessed at 1 day, 7 days, and 14 days post-memory encoding. We observed a significant main effect for time (F(2) = 104.2, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.77) and a significant main effect for valence–arousal classification (F(4) = 21.39, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.40), but there was no significant time by group interaction (F(2) = 1.09, p = 0.34, η2p = 0.03), classification by group interaction (F(4) = 0.12, p = 0.97, η2p = 0.01), time by classification interaction (F(8) = 1.78, p = 0.08, η2p = 0.05), or time by classification by group interaction (F(8) = 0.78, p = 0.62, η2p = 0.02). In conclusion, emotional memory recognition decreased over the 14-day follow-up period and this rate of memory decay was not altered by acute moderate-intensity exercise engagement. We discuss these findings in the context of exercise intensity and the temporal effects of exercise.


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