Understanding Thermal Feedback

This feedback, most often in the form of audio and/or visual signals which reflect temperature changes (usually skin temperature fluctuations of the fingers and hands), provides information on the peripheral circulation.

According to Zaichkowsky and Fuchs (1988), the values of peripheral skin temperaturerange from 18-21 “C(highsympatheticarousal)to32-35 “C(lowsympatheticarousal).Temper- ature biofeedback is usually used in conjunction with other modalities (Goodspeed, 1983; Zaichkowsky & Fuchs, 1988), for example with electrodermal biofeedback (seebelow).In add

Thermal biujeedback.Thermalbiofeedbackprimarily involvesthe use of skin temper- ature of the fingers to indirectly measure the sympathetic arousal of the autonomic nervous system (Zaichkowsky & Fuchs, 1989). People who are in a stressful sit- uation often experience a sense of coldness in their hands, the reason being that when one is stressed,

Moreover, temperature biofeedback is often used in gymnastics (Goodspeed, 1983; Peper & Schmid, 1983) and winter sports (Kappers & Chapman, 1984).

The cardiovascular mechanisms that regulate skin temperature in the hands are closely related to the activity of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system. When this system is activated, the smooth muscles surrounding the blood vessels near the skin surface are likely to contract, resulting in vasoconstriction. This will cause a decr