Study on sweating response of paraplegics exposed to a hot, humid environment during exercise

众所周知，脊髓损伤（ISCI）患者的出汗反应基本上取决于损伤程度。然而，关于 ISCI 损伤程度与出汗之间关系的文献很少。此外，尚未对ISCI在炎热环境下运动时的出汗反应进行调查。因此，本研究的目的是（1）阐明受伤程度与身体出汗部位之间的关系，（2）研究运动期间摄入水对出汗和体温的影响，以及（3）证明冷却夹克在暴露于炎热、潮湿环境中的 ISCI 中的效果。受试者为成年男性截瘫患者（L1〜Th6）。所有受试者的前额、胸部和胃部均表现出明显的出汗反应。相比之下，所有受试者的大腿和小腿仅发现少量或少量出汗。病变水平较高的受试者在炎热环境中运动时的总出汗率低于病变水平较低的受试者。然而，各组之间的总出汗率没有显着差异。尽管病变程度高的ISCI组大腿和小腿的皮肤温度较低，但两组间前额、胸部和上臂的皮肤温度没有显着差异。此外，两组之间的鼓膜温度并不显着。与局部出汗相反，总出汗率与损伤程度无关。这些结果表明，截瘫患者的病变水平对在炎热环境下运动时调节体温没有显着影响。对于截瘫患者，摄入水和穿着冷却夹克的综合作用可以轻松控制炎热潮湿环境中的循环反应和体温升高。

It is known that the sweat response of individuals with spinal cord injury (ISCI) is basically dependent on the level of injury. However, there is little literature on the relationship between injury level and sweating in ISCI. In addition, no investigation has been conducted on sweating responses of ISCI during exercise in a hot environment. The purpose of this study, therefore, was (1)to clarify the relationship between injury level and sweating site of the body, (2)to investigate the effect of water ingestion during exercise on sweating and body temperature, and (3)to demonstrate the effect of cooling jacket in ISCI exposed in a hot, humid environment. Subjects were adult male paraplegics (L1〜Th6). All subjects showed apparent sweat responses at the forehead, the chest and the stomach. In contrast, there found only a little or little sweating at the thigh and the lower leg in all subjects. The subjects with upper lesion level showed less total sweat rate during exercise in a hot environment than those with lower lesion level. However, there was no significant difference of total sweat rate between the groups. Although skin temperatures at the thigh and the lower leg were lower in ISCI with high lesion level, there was no significant difference of skin temperature at the forehead, the chest and the upper arm between the two groups. Furthermore, the tympanic membrane temperature was not significant between the two groups. Total sweat rate was independent of the level of injury in contrast to local sweating. These results suggested that there was no remarkable effect of lesion level in paraplegics to regulate body temperature during exercise in a hot environment. In paraplegics, the combined effect of water ingestion and wearing cooling jacket could easily control circulatory response and rising body temperature in a hot, humid environment.