Thermosensory mapping of skin wetness sensitivity across the body of young males and females at rest and following maximal incremental running
Thermosensory mapping of skin wetness sensitivity across the body of young males and females at rest and following maximal incremental running
Humans lack skin hygroreceptors and we rely on integrating cold and tactile inputs from A‐type skin nerve fibres to sense wetness. Yet, it is unknown whether sex and exercise independently modulate skin wetness sensitivity across the body. We mapped local sensitivity to cold, neutral and warm wetness of the forehead, neck, underarm, lower back and dorsal foot in 10 males (27.8 ± 2.7 years; 1.92 ± 0.1 m2 body surface area) and 10 females (25.4 ± 3.9 years; 1.68 ± 0.1 m2 body surface area), at rest and post maximal incremental running. Participants underwent our quantitative sensory test where they reported the magnitude of thermal and wetness perceptions (visual analogue scale) resulting from the application of a cold (5°C below skin temperature) wet (0.8 mL of water), neutral wet and warm wet (5°C above skin temperature) thermal probe (1.32 cm2) to five skin sites. We found that: (i) females were ∼14% to ∼17% more sensitive to cold‐wetness than males, yet both sexes were as sensitive to neutral‐ and warm‐wetness; (ii) regional differences were present for cold‐wetness only, and these followed a craniocaudal increase that was more pronounced in males (i.e. the foot was ∼31% more sensitive than the forehead); and (iii) maximal exercise reduced cold‐wetness sensitivity over specific regions in males (i.e. ∼40% decrease in foot sensitivity), and also induced a generalized reduction in warm‐wetness sensitivity in both sexes (i.e. ∼4% to ∼6%). For the first time, we show that females are more sensitive to cold wetness than males and that maximal exercise induce hygro‐hypoesthesia. These novel findings expand our knowledge on sex differences in thermoregulatory physiology.
3315-3332
Valenza, Alessandro
60b629a5-c527-4137-8efb-6670b165d319
Bianco, Antonino
c813a96b-983f-438f-8ee8-36c67746e727
Filingeri, Davide
42502a34-e7e6-4b49-b304-ce2ae0bf7b24
2 July 2019
Valenza, Alessandro
60b629a5-c527-4137-8efb-6670b165d319
Bianco, Antonino
c813a96b-983f-438f-8ee8-36c67746e727
Filingeri, Davide
42502a34-e7e6-4b49-b304-ce2ae0bf7b24
Valenza, Alessandro, Bianco, Antonino and Filingeri, Davide
(2019)
Thermosensory mapping of skin wetness sensitivity across the body of young males and females at rest and following maximal incremental running.
The Journal of Physiology, .
(doi:10.1113/JP277928).
Abstract
Humans lack skin hygroreceptors and we rely on integrating cold and tactile inputs from A‐type skin nerve fibres to sense wetness. Yet, it is unknown whether sex and exercise independently modulate skin wetness sensitivity across the body. We mapped local sensitivity to cold, neutral and warm wetness of the forehead, neck, underarm, lower back and dorsal foot in 10 males (27.8 ± 2.7 years; 1.92 ± 0.1 m2 body surface area) and 10 females (25.4 ± 3.9 years; 1.68 ± 0.1 m2 body surface area), at rest and post maximal incremental running. Participants underwent our quantitative sensory test where they reported the magnitude of thermal and wetness perceptions (visual analogue scale) resulting from the application of a cold (5°C below skin temperature) wet (0.8 mL of water), neutral wet and warm wet (5°C above skin temperature) thermal probe (1.32 cm2) to five skin sites. We found that: (i) females were ∼14% to ∼17% more sensitive to cold‐wetness than males, yet both sexes were as sensitive to neutral‐ and warm‐wetness; (ii) regional differences were present for cold‐wetness only, and these followed a craniocaudal increase that was more pronounced in males (i.e. the foot was ∼31% more sensitive than the forehead); and (iii) maximal exercise reduced cold‐wetness sensitivity over specific regions in males (i.e. ∼40% decrease in foot sensitivity), and also induced a generalized reduction in warm‐wetness sensitivity in both sexes (i.e. ∼4% to ∼6%). For the first time, we show that females are more sensitive to cold wetness than males and that maximal exercise induce hygro‐hypoesthesia. These novel findings expand our knowledge on sex differences in thermoregulatory physiology.
This record has no associated files available for download.
More information
Published date: 2 July 2019
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 449177
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/449177
ISSN: 0022-3751
PURE UUID: 8e1e671d-5a1f-4b15-be2a-047ba70bf49d
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 18 May 2021 16:40
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:05
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Alessandro Valenza
Author:
Antonino Bianco
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics