Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Auckland, Private Bag, Auckland, New Zealand
Abstract:
1. 1.The forearm of 5 female subjects ws thermally stimulated by 2 sets of interposed servo-thermodes that respectively drove skin temperature at ±0.1°C.s?1 for 25 s and then held it constant. Mean skin temperature remained constant. The sequence was repeated at adapting temperatures between 22.5 and 37.5°C.
2. 2.Thermal sensations, continuously reported by the position of a dial, were warmer for heterogeneous thermal stimuli than for homogeneous stimuli when mean skin temperature was greater than 30°C and cooler when less than 27.5°C.
3. 3.This phenomenon is inconsistent with a single additive contribution of “warm” and “cold” information to thermal sensations.
Author Keywords: Man; thermal sensation; skin temperature