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Local and regional variations in cutaneous vasomotor tone of the human trunk

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Summary

  1. 1.

    These studies have been concerned with regional or segmental variations in vasomotor activity in “normal” individuals.

  2. 2.

    The methods used included the segment-to-segment measurement of the temperature, red responses, and light absorption of the paravertebral skin.

  3. 3.

    The observations show that the cutaneous vasomotor activity on the trunk is not uniform, as appears to be commonly assumed. Topographical patterns of temperature, red responses and light absorption of the skin were found.

  4. 4.

    Local or segmental deviations from these average or “normal” topographical patterns were found in most individuals.

  5. 5.

    Local deviations in all three types of observations were usually found at the same segmental levels in a given individual.

  6. 6.

    The topographical patterns of vascular activity appear to be functional rather than anatomic and are analogous to similar patterns in sudomotor activity.

  7. 7.

    The topographical patterns of cutaneous vasomotor manifestations appear, therefore, to reflect normal regional variations in sympathetic activity.

  8. 8.

    The local deviations of vasomotor activity from the “normal” patterns appear to be related to local deviations in sympathetic activity.

Zusammenfassung

  1. 1.

    Diese Studien wurden in Hinblick auf regionale und segmentale vasomotorische Aktivitäten bei “normalen” Individuen durchgeführt.

  2. 2.

    Die angewandten Methoden umfaßten die von Segment zu Segment vorgenommenen Messungen der Temperatur, der Rötung und der Lichtabsorption der paravertebralen Haut.

  3. 3.

    Die Beobachtungen zeigen, daß die cutane vasomotorische Tätigkeit des Stammes nicht uniform ist, wie man es wohl annehmen möchte. Topographische Muster von Temperatur, Rötung und Lichtabsorption der Haut wurden gefunden.

  4. 4.

    Lokake oder segmentale Abweichungen von diesen Durchschnittsvorkommen oder “normalen” topographischen Muster wurden bei den meisten Individuen gefunden.

  5. 5.

    Lokale Abweichungen bei allen drei Typen wurden gewöhnlich auf gleicher Höhe bei einem gegebenen Individuum nachgewiesen.

  6. 6.

    Die topographischen Schablonen der vasculären Aktivität dürften mehr funktionell als anatomisch sein und sinds ähnlichen Schablonen der sudomotorischen Aktivität analog.

  7. 7.

    Die topographischen Schablonen der cutanen vasomotorischen Manifestationen scheinen daher normale regionale Variationen der sympathischen Aktivität widerzuspiegeln.

  8. 8.

    Die lokalen Abweichungen der vasomotorischen Aktivität von den “normalen” Schablonen dürften mit lokalen Abweichungen der sympathischen Aktivität zusammenhängen.

Résumé

  1. 1.

    Ces études furents entreprises à l'égard de l'activité vasomotrice régionale et ségmentaire chez des individus ≪normauz≫.

  2. 2.

    Les méthodes employées comprenaient le mésurage de segment à segment de la température, de la rougeur et de l'absorption de la lumière de la peau paravertébrale.

  3. 3.

    Ces observations montrent que l'activité vasomotrice de la peau du tronc n'est pas uniforme comme on croyrait de l'admettre. Des types topographiques de la température, de la rougeur et de l'absorption de la lumière furent trouvés.

  4. 4.

    Des déviations locales et segmentaires de ces avérages ou des types topographiques ≪normaux≫ furent observés chez la plupart des individus.

  5. 5.

    Des déviations locales de tous les trois types se trouvèrent à l'ordinaire dans la même hauteur segmentaire d'un individu donné.

  6. 6.

    Les types topographiques de l'activité vasculaire paraissent être plus fonctionnelles qu'anatomiques et sont analogues à des types semblables de l'activité sudomotrice.

  7. 7.

    Les types topographiques des manifestations vasomotrices cutanées semblent donc refléter des variations régionales de l'activité sympathique.

  8. 8.

    Les déviations locales de l'activité vasomotrice du type ≪normal≫ paraissent être en relation avec des déviations locales sympathiques.

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Author notes

  1. I. M. Korr Ph. D.

    Present address: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Kirksville College of Osteopathy and Surgery, Kirksville, Missouri, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Kirksville College of Osteopathy and Surgery, Kirksville, Missouri, USA

    H. M. Wright & P. E. Thomas

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Additional information

With 9 Figures

These investigations were supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service (H-1632), and from the American Osteopathic Association.

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Wright, H.M., Korr, I.M. & Thomas, P.E. Local and regional variations in cutaneous vasomotor tone of the human trunk. Acta Neurovegetativa 22, 33–52 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01226651

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