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Age-related circulatory responses to whole body cooling: observations by ballistocardiographic EMFi sensors

Author

  • Jarmo Alametsä
  • Juhani Smolander
  • Leif Vanggaard
  • Amitava Halder
  • Karin Lundgren Kownacki
  • Chuansi Gao
  • Jari Viik
  • Kalev Kuklane

Summary, in English

The purpose was to study age related changes in circulatory system via Ballistocardiography (BCG) by utilizing Electromechanical Film (EMFi) sensors by gradually changing the ambient temperature from a thermoneutral area to cold direction. ECG and BCG were recorded from a young person (23 years) and from an older person (78 years), both males. During the tests, brachium blood pressure (BP) and pulse signals were recorded from neck and ankle (with EMFi sensor strips). Thermal camera images were taken in order to find out temperature changes in whole body and limbs. Temporal durations and amplitudes of seat BCG:s components (systolic and diastolic) as well as from pulse signals from neck and ankle were calculated. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) was obtained by utilizing the time between ECG’s R wave and maximum value of the ankle pulse signal.

In both persons, the ankle pulse amplitude decreased when propagating to cold direction and increased in young person when returning to warmer ambient temperature. With young and old BCG:s systolic and diastolic temporal complexes remained stable, but systolic amplitudes increased in the older person (AHI 1.02 – 2.87, AIJ 0.7 – 2.66) as well as diastolic amplitudes (old; AKL 0.47 – 2.37). In the older person, PWV increased when moving to colder side. BP increased with a young person (from 95/64 to 132/75 mmHg), and with older person (from 125/68 to 176/101 mmHg) having a prominent rise in diastolic values during the cooling. The neck pulse wave amplitude AOP rise was modest with the younger person and had variation with the older person. Older person had also more intensive shivering compared to younger one. With the older person, the limbs stayed cold in thermal images when returning from cold to thermoneutral area. The present preliminary observations indicated clear age-related differences in the circulatory response to a mild whole-body thermal challenge.

Publishing year

2014

Language

English

Publication/Series

Proceedings of Ambience, Scientific Conference for Smart Textiles

Volume

1

Document type

Conference paper

Publisher

Tampere University of Technology

Topic

  • Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics

Keywords

  • EMFi
  • BCG
  • thermoneutral area
  • thermal balance

Conference name

Ambience14 & 10I3M, Scientific conference for Smart and functional textiles, Well-Being, Thermal comfort in clothing, Design, Thermal Manikins and Modelling

Conference date

2014-09-07 - 2014-09-09

Conference place

Tampere Hall, Tampere, Finland

Status

Published

Research group

  • Thermal Environment Laboratory

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 2342-4540
  • ISBN: 978-952-15-3269-6