Sweat gland recruitment following thermal and psychological stimuli

Authors

Christiano A. Machado-Moreira, University of WollongongFollow
Elizabeth Edkins, University of Wollongong
Alexandre S. Iabushita, University of Wollongong
Peter Maruca, University of Wollongong
Nigel A.S. Taylor, University of WollongongFollow

RIS ID

28647

Publication Details

Machado-Moreira, C., Edkins, E., Iabushita, A., Maruca, P. & Taylor, N. A.S.. Sweat gland recruitment following thermal and psychological stimuli. 13th International conference on environmental ergonomics; Boston, USA: 2009. 478-481.

Abstract

Eccrine sweat glands are present across almost the entire body surface. The distinction between glabrous (hairless) and non-glabrous skin has frequently been used to describe differences in human sudomotor function and, in particular, to help differentiate between the thermal and nonthermal mechanisms that modulate sweat secretion. Indeed, the widely accepted consensus is that psychological (psychogenic) sweating is limited to the glabrous regions, while thermally induced secretion occurs only from non-glabrous surfaces (Iwase et al., 1997). Furthermore, it is frequently assumed that independent central controllers, efferent pathways and different neurotransmitters activate the sweat glands within each of these regions. A recent research focus of the current laboratory has been to evaluate the veracity of these assumptions.