Characterizing human skin blood flow regulation in response to different local skin temperature perturbations

Characterizing human skin blood flow regulation in response to different local skin temperature perturbations

Wu, Y. (TU Delft Biomechatronics & Human-Machine Control)
Nieuwenhoff, M.D. (Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam)
Huygen, F.J.P.M. (Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam)
van der Helm, F.C.T. (TU Delft Biomechatronics & Human-Machine Control)
Niehof, S.P. (TU Delft Biomechanical Engineering; Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam; Maasstad Hospital)
Schouten, A.C. (TU Delft Biomechatronics & Human-Machine Control; University of Twente)

Biomechanical Engineering

2017

Small nerve fibers regulate local skin blood flow in response to local thermal perturbations. Small nerve fiber function is difficult to assess with classical neurophysiological tests. In this study, a vasomotor response model in combination with a heating protocol was developed to quantitatively characterize the control mechanism of small nerve fibers in regulating skin blood flow in response to local thermal perturbation. The skin of healthy subjects’ hand dorsum (n = 8) was heated to 42 °C with an infrared lamp, and then naturally cooled down. The distance between the lamp and the hand was set to three different levels in order to change the irradiation intensity on the skin and implement three different skin temperature rise rates (0.03 °C/s, 0.02 °C/s and 0.01 °C/s). A laser Doppler imager (LDI) and a thermographic video camera recorded the temporal profile of the skin blood flow and the skin temperature, respectively. The relationship between the skin blood flow and the skin temperature was characterized by a vasomotor response model. The model fitted the skin blood flow response well with a variance accounted for (VAF) between 78% and 99%. The model parameters suggested a similar mechanism for the skin blood flow regulation with the thermal perturbations at 0.03 °C/s and 0.02 °C/s. But there was an accelerated skin vasoconstriction after a slow heating (0.01 °C/s) (p-value 

Modelling
Skin blood flow
Skin temperature
Small nerve fibers
Thermoregulation

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:aed40c4d-d407-4320-b323-f9792e5cb1a5

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mvr.2016.12.007

0026-2862

Microvascular Research, 111, 96-102

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2017 Y. Wu, M.D. Nieuwenhoff, F.J.P.M. Huygen, F.C.T. van der Helm, S.P. Niehof, A.C. Schouten