G. B. Spurr

The effects of age on finger temperature responses to local cooling

Abstract Finger temperature measurements were made before, during, and after a period of immersion of the hand in a 10° C. water bath on healthy individuals varying in age from 6 to 83 years. The hunting reaction tended to occur less frequently with the advancing age of the subjects. Similarly the rates of cooling and rewarming of the finger appeared to be influenced by the age of the individual. It is suggested that these differences in response to a local cold stimulus were related to changes in vascular reactivity.