Finger dexterity, skin temperature, and blood flow during auxiliary heating in the
cold.
Brajkovic, Dragan, and Michel B. Ducharme.
Human Protection and Performance Group, Defence Research and Development
Canada-Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3M 3B9
APStracts 10:0250A, 2003.
The primary purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of two forms
of hand heating and to discuss specific trends that relate finger dexterity performance to
variables such as finger skin temperature (Tfing), finger blood flow («odot»Qfing),
forearm skin temperature (Tfsk), forearm muscle temperature (Tfmus), mean weighted
body skin temperature «obar»Tsk, and change in body heat content (?Hb). These
variables along with rate of body heat storage, toe skin temperature, and change in rectal
temperature were measured during direct and indirect hand heating. Direct hand heating
involved the use of electrically heated gloves to keep the fingers warm (heated gloves
condition), whereas indirect hand heating involved warming the fingers indirectly by
actively heating the torso with an electrically heated vest (heated vest condition). Seven
men (age 35.6 ± 5.6 yr) were subjected to each method of hand heating while they sat in a
chair for 3 h during exposure to «minus»25°C air. «odot»Qfing was significantly (P <
0.05) higher during the heated vest condition compared with the heated gloves condition
(234 ± 28 and 33 ± 4 perfusion units, respectively), despite a similar Tfing (which ranged
between 28 and 35°C during the 3-h exposure). Despite the difference in «odot»Qfing,
there was no significant difference in finger dexterity performance. Therefore, finger
dexterity can be maintained with direct hand heating despite a low «odot»Qfing. ?Hb,
«obar»Tsk, and Tfmus reached a low of «minus»472 ± 18 kJ, 28.5 ± 0.3°C, and 29.8 ±
0.5°C, respectively, during the heated gloves condition, but the values were not low
enough to affect finger dexterity.
Received 21 January 2003; accepted in final form 27 April 2003
APS Manuscript Number A51-3.
Article publication pending J Appl Physiol
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 2003 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 30 May 2003