Abstract
To investigate the effects of age on thermal sensitivity, preferred ambient temperature (T pref) 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 (T a) was set at either 20° C or 40° C at commencement. The subject was directed to adjust theT a for 45 min by manipulating a remote control switch to the level at which he felt most comfortable. In the older group, theT pref was significantly lower in trials starting at 20° C than that starting at 40° C in summer. The fluctuation ofT pref (temperature difference between maximum and minimumT a 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 ofT pref 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.
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Natsume, K., Ogawa, T., Sugenoya, J. et al. Preferred ambient temperature for old and young men in summer and winter. Int J Biometeorol 36, 1–4 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01208726
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01208726