THE EFFECT OF PRESSURE AND WARMTH APPLIED TO THE AXILLA ON UNILATERALNASAL AIRWAY-RESISTANCE AND FACIAL SKIN TEMPERATURE

The effect of pressure, warmth, and control stimuli applied to the axi lla and lateral chest wall on unilateral nasal airway resistance and f acial skin temperature was investigated in 60 healthy adults. Nasal re sistance was measured by posterior rhinomanometry and skin temperature with an infrared thermometer. A significant increase in unilateral na sal resistance ipsilateral to the applied stimulus was seen with both pressure and warmth (p = 0.006, p = 0.02). A decrease in unilateral na sal resistance contralateral to the stimulus was seen in both these gr oups, but this was not significant (p = 0.45, p = 0.81). The control s timulus group showed a non-significant increase in unilateral nasal re sistance ipsilateral to the applied stimulus (p = 0.55), and a signifi cant rise in unilateral nasal resistance on the contralateral side (p = 0.008). There were no significant differences between the ipsilatera l and contralateral facial skin temperatures before or after the appli cation of a unilateral pressure, warm or control stimulus. A significa nt bilateral increase in facial temperature was observed during the co urse of the experiment in all three groups. The mechanisms of induced changes in unilateral nasal resistance are discussed. The results incr ease our knowledge of the corporo-nasal reflex and demonstrate that th e reciprocal changes in sympathetic tone to the nasal capacitance bloo d vessels are independent from any parallel reflex changes in sympathe tic tone to cutaneous blood vessels.