Neurones and temperature regulation /

An attempt was made to ascribe the regulation of body temperature in homeotherms to the hypothalamus and the preoptic region. Results of measurements of hypothalamic temperature and regulatory responses in the normal dog in hot, neutral and cold environments and, at various times, in the resting, waking, sleeping, exercising and fevered state, are interpreted on the assumption that the hypothalamus responds to changes in its own temperature like a proportional controller with an adjustable set point. For each thermal regulatory response, the response was as if its magnitude were proportional to the deviation of the actual hypothalamic temperature from a set point temperature, and as if the set point temperature were to increase in the cold environment, decrease in the hot environment, decrease at the onset of sleep, decrease at the onset of exercise and increase in fever. A model based on known characteristics of neurones is proposed which appears to function like a proportional controller with an adjustable set point. (Author).Includes bibliographic references (pages 31-32).An attempt was made to ascribe the regulation of body temperature in homeotherms to the hypothalamus and the preoptic region. Results of measurements of hypothalamic temperature and regulatory responses in the normal dog in hot, neutral and cold environments and, at various times, in the resting, waking, sleeping, exercising and fevered state, are interpreted on the assumption that the hypothalamus responds to changes in its own temperature like a proportional controller with an adjustable set point. For each thermal regulatory response, the response was as if its magnitude were proportional to the deviation of the actual hypothalamic temperature from a set point temperature, and as if the set point temperature were to increase in the cold environment, decrease in the hot environment, decrease at the onset of sleep, decrease at the onset of exercise and increase in fever. A model based on known characteristics of neurones is proposed which appears to function like a proportional controller with an adjustable set point. (Author).Research supported by the Aerospace Medical Division, Air Force Systems Command, United States Air Force; report prepared by the John B. Pierce Foundation Laboratory, New Haven, Connecticut, under contract no.Mode of access: Internet