Preferred ambient temperature for old and young men in summer and winter |
| |
Authors: | Keiko Natsume Tokuo Ogawa Junichi Sugenoya Norikazu Ohnishi Kazuno Imai |
| |
Affiliation: | (1) Department of Physiology, Aichi Medical University, 480-11 Nagakute, Japan |
| |
Abstract: | To investigate the effects of age on thermal sensitivity, preferred ambient temperature (Tpref) was compared between old (71–76 years) and young (21–30 years) groups, each consisting of six male subjects in summer and winter. The air temperature (Ta) was set at either 20° C or 40° C at commencement. The subject was directed to adjust theTa for 45 min by manipulating a remote control switch to the level at which he felt most comfortable. In the older group, theTpref was significantly lower in trials starting at 20° C than that starting at 40° C in summer. The fluctuation ofTpref (temperature difference between maximum and minimumTa during the last 10 min) was significantly wider in the older group in both summer and winter. Repetition of the same experiment on each subject showed a poorer reproducibility ofTpref in the older group than in the younger group in summer. Tympanic and esophageal temperatures of the older group kept falling throughout the trial starting at 20° C in summer. These results suggest that thermal sensitivity is decreased with advancing age and that thermal perception in the elderly, especially to cold, is less sensitive in summer. |
| |
Keywords: | Preferred temperature Aging Thermal sensitivity Seasonal difference |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |