Exploring the interactions of core, mean skin and local skin temperatures on the cutaneous blood flow of the forearm, hand, calf and foot: three-dimensional perspectives

Cutaneous blood flow manipulation supports body temperature regulation. Whilst deep tissue temperature has the greatest influence on this flow, local skin temperature influences flow independently of the sympathetic nervous system. Furthermore, the neural control of cutaneous blood vessels differs between acral and non-acral skin, with the former also containing arteriovenous anastomoses. These interactions are well known and have previously been explored. However, the interactions of core and local skin temperatures on cutaneous blood flow have not been studied in mildly hypothermic and hyperthermic individuals over a range of local skin temperatures, and certainly not within both the acral and non-acral skin regions. This was the primary focus of this study