Perception of Thermal Comfort during Skin Cooling and Heating

Due to the static and dynamic activity of the skin temperature sensors, the cutaneous thermal afferent information is dependent on the rate and direction of the temperature change, which would suggest different perceptions of temperature and of thermal comfort during skin heating and cooling. This hypothesis was tested in the present study. Subjects (N = 12; 6 females and 6 males) donned a water-perfused suit (WPS) in which the temperature was varied in a saw-tooth manner in the range from 27 to 42 °C. The rate of change of temperature of the water perfusing the suit (T(WPS)) was 1.2 °C min(−1) during both the heating and cooling phases. The trial was repeated thrice, with subjects reporting their perception of the temperature and thermal comfort at each 3 °C change in T(WPS). In addition, subjects were instructed to report when they perceived T(WPS) uncomfortably cool and warm during cooling and heating, respectively. Subjects reproducibly identified the boundaries of their Thermal Comfort Zone (TCZ), defined as the lower (T(low)) and upper (T(high)) temperatures at which subjects reported slight thermal discomfort. During the heating phase, T(low) and T(high) were 30.0 ± 1.5 °C and 35.1 ± 2.9 °C, respectively. During the cooling phase, the boundary temperatures of T(low) and T(high) were 35.4 ± 1.9 °C and 38.7 ± 2.3 °C, respectively. The direction of the change in the cutaneous temperature stimulus affects the boundaries of the TCZ, such that they are higher during cooling and lower during heating. These findings are explained on the basis of the neurophysiology of thermal perception. From an applied perspective, the most important observation of the present study was the strong correlation between the perception of thermal comfort and the behavioral regulation of thermal comfort. Although it is not surprising that the action of regulating thermal comfort is aligned with its perception, this link has not been proven for humans in previous studies. The results therefore provide a sound basis to consider ratings of thermal comfort as reflecting behavioral actions to achieve the sensation of thermal neutrality.