E. Mevio et L. Bernardi, PHASIC CHANGES IN HUMAN NASAL AND SKIN BLOOD-FLOW - RELATIONSHIP WITHAUTONOMIC TONE, The Annals of otology, rhinology & laryngology, 103(10), 1994, pp. 789-795
To assess the autonomic control of the microcirculation in human skin
and nasal mucosa, the spontaneous fluctuations of a laser Doppler sign
al recorded on forearm skin and nasal mucosa were compared with heart
rate fluctuations and the respiratory signal in 11 healthy subjects by
means of spectral analysis. Possible direct mechanical-thermal effect
s of airflow on the nasal mucosa were evaluated by comparing recording
s obtained when the subjects were breathing through either the nose or
the mouth. Comparison of the spectral analysis of the signal obtained
for skin and nasal mucosa blood flow allowed us to define the charact
eristics of the autonomic tone of the microcirculation in these two ar
eas. The skin is mainly influenced by sympathetic activity, and the na
sal blood flow is regulated by both sympathetic and parasympathetic ac
tivity.