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Skin Temperature Self‐Regulation and Non‐Invasive Regional Cerebral Blood Flow
Author(s) -
Largen John W.,
Mathew Roy J.,
Dobbins Ken,
Meyer John S.,
Claghorn James L.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
headache: the journal of head and face pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.14
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1526-4610
pISSN - 0017-8748
DOI - 10.1111/j.1526-4610.1978.hed1804203.x
Subject(s) - cerebral blood flow , skin temperature , medicine , migraine , blood flow , concomitant , relaxation (psychology) , anesthesia , psychology , neuroscience , dermatology
SYNOPSIS Theoretical notions concerning the mechanism of migraine alleviation via “hand‐warming” techniques remain unclear and are somewhat hampered by a lack of knowledge as to what effect skin temperature self‐regulation has on intracerebral blood flow. Twelve normal female subjects were trained either to increase or to decrease the skin temperature of their hands. Following extensive training, subjects were given one measure of non‐invasive regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during a relaxation run and another measure while self‐regulating their skin temperature. The skin temperatures of the hand‐warming and hand‐cooling groups changed in significantly opposite directions. However the rCBF of either the left or right hemispheres showed no such concomitant differentiation. The present study contributes physiological confirmation of existing clinical indications that skin temperature manipulation per se may not be the major factor responsible for the therapeutic gains seen in migraine therapy.