Left Ear Temperatures Research Articles

A cost-effective, simple measure of emotional response in the brain for use by behavioral biologists

Background and aimsStudies combining brain activity measures with behavior have the potential to reveal more about animal cognition than either on their own. However, brain measure procedures in animal studies are often practically challenging and cost-prohibitive. Therefore, we test whether a simple measure of ear temperature can be used to index hemispheric brain activation using a handheld thermoscanner. Cortisol levels are correlated with the activation of the right cortical region, implying that, when stressful situations are experienced, increased right hemisphere activation occurs. This leads to corresponding locally detectable increases in ipsilateral ear temperature.MethodsWe compared right-and left-ear temperatures of 32 domestic dogs under non-stressful and partially stressful conditions.ResultsWe detected significant elevations in right-ear temperature - but not left-ear temperature - relative to baseline readings in the partially stressful condition that were not detected in the non-stressful condition.DiscussionThese findings provide encouraging support for the notion that tympanic membrane temperature readings can provide a simple index for canine hemispheric brain activation, which can be combined with data on behavioral decision-making, expectancy violations, or other measures of emotional processing. Devices are cheap, simple to use, portable, and only minimally invasive providing a means for realtime brain and behavior measurements to be conducted in real-world settings.

Comparison of Rectal, Eye and Ear Temperatures in Kangal breed dogs

The aim of this research was to compare rectal, eye and ear temperature of 30 healthy Kangal dogs. Rectal temperature was measured by use of standard rectal digital thermometer. Right and left eye temperatures were detected by infrared thermal camera from the carancula lacrimalis region. Tympanic thermometer was used to determine right and left ear temperatures. Data were analyzed by Pearson correlation test. The comparative analysis showed no significant differences between the measurement methods. Measuring of ear and eye temperature could be an alternative method to obtain body temperature in Kangal dogs.

The right ear but not the left ear temperature is related to stress-induced cortisolaemia in the domestic cat (Felis catus)

Transport in containers and an unfamiliar environment are potent stress-inducing factors in domestic cats. This stress can be evaluated using cortisol concentration in serum and through other related physiological responses, such as increased glycaemia and body temperature. There is evidence that in some animal species, while subjected to psychological stress, lower right tympanic temperature is associated with emotional activation. In this study we evaluated the relationship between tympanic temperature, rectal temperature, and glycaemia and stress level as represented by cortisolaemia in domestic cats. Two groups of 18 cats were separated according to higher or lower cortisol serum levels after transportation and exposure to an unfamiliar environment. The right tympanic temperature was lower in the low cortisol group than in the high cortisol group. No significant differences in left tympanic temperature, rectal temperature, and glycaemia were observed between the low cortisol and high cortisol group. The relationship between emotional stress and tympanic temperature is in accordance with a possible emotional lateralisation in domestic cats. This functional tympanic membrane temperature technique could be an alternative method to evaluate the psychological stress in domestic cats.

The Patient: A Novel Source of Error in Clinical Temperature Measurement Using Infrared Aural Thermometry

The vital signs are an important component of patient assessment. With respect to body temperature; there has been a move away from mercury-in-glass thermometers toward the relatively inexpensive, safer to use infrared tympanic, auricular, or ear thermometer. Although already in widespread use, the reliability of these devices has increasingly been called into question. Few studies, however, have considered that the problem might reside outside the device itself. To investigate the correlation between left ear temperature and right ear temperature using an infrared tympanic thermometer (ITT). A prospective, single-blind trail with randomized assignment of the first ear to be assessed. Welsh Institute of Chiropractic (WIOC), University of Glamorgan. One hundred and thirty two (132) asymptomatic subjects who were opportunistically sampled on entry into the WIOC. None of the subjects had any neurologic deficit, or any known underlying pathologic problems. All were students at the University of Glamorgan (age range, 18-48 years). A smaller sample of the same cohort was used on a separate occasion to compare ITTs from 2 different manufacturers using the same protocol. Measurement of ear (ear canal/tympanic) temperature bilaterally using an ITT. Bilateral asymmetry in ear canal temperature. Analysis consisted of nonparametric statistical tests, using Spearman's correlation for comparison and the Wilcoxon matched pairs test for differences. In 132 subjects who completed the main study, although a degree of correlation was found, the relationship did not extrapolate through zero. At temperatures more than 0.4 degrees C above or below 36.7 degrees C, there was a significant difference in temperature in the left compared with the right ear. Additionally, the left ear tended to register a lower temperature than the right ear at temperatures below 36.7 degrees C, whereas the left ear tended to read a higher temperature than the right ear above 36.7 degrees C. The authors suggest that clinicians consider measuring both ears, and take the greater of the readings to be a more accurate reflection of the patient's core temperature. The difference may perhaps even be related to the person's health. This change in methodology should increase the reliability of the measurement and go some way toward restoring confidence in the use of ITT devices.

Physiologic and Functional Responses of MS Patients to Body Cooling

The objective of this study was to compare the responses of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to short-term cooling therapy using three different vest configurations. Each garment was used to cool 13 male and 13 female MS subjects (31-67 yr). Oral and right and left ear temperatures were logged manually every 5 min. Arm, leg, chest, and rectal temperatures, heart rate, and respiration were recorded continuously on a Biolog ambulatory monitor. Each subject was given a series of subjective and objective evaluation tests before and after cooling. The Life Enhancement Technologies and Steele vests test groups had similar, significant (P < 0.01) cooling effects on oral and ear canal temperatures, which decreased approximately 0.4 degrees C and 0.3 degrees C, respectively. The Life Enhancement Technologies active liquid cooling vest produced the coldest (P < 0.01) skin temperature and provided the most improvement on subjective and objective performance measures. These results show that the various garment configurations tested do not produce similar thermal responses in all MS patients. The circulating liquid cooling vest was found to be more effective than either of the two passive cooling garments tested.

Lateralized changes in tympanic membrane temperature in relation to different cognitive tasks in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

Lateralized changes in tympanic membrane (TM) temperature were assessed in chimpanzees. Subjects were engaged in 1 of 3 different cognitive tasks, including matching-to-sample, visual-spatial discrimination, and a motor task. During execution of each task, TM temperatures were taken from each ear over a 20-min time period. The TM temperatures at each time interval were subtracted from a baseline measure to assess relative change in blood flow. For the matching-to-sample and visual-spatial discrimination tasks, significant lateralized changes in TM temperature were found, with left-ear temperature increasing and right-ear temperature decreasing. No laterality effects were found for the motor or control tasks. These data provide the first evidence of laterality in physiological functioning in chimpanzees and suggest that transient asymmetries in cognitive functions are associated with changes in cerebral blood flow as assessed by TM temperature change.

Hemodynamic and thermal responses to head and neck cooling in men and women.

Personal cooling systems are used to alleviate symptoms of multiple sclerosis and to prevent increased core temperature during daily activities. The objective of this study was to determine the operating characteristics and the physiologic changes produced by short term use of one commercially available thermal control system. A Life Support Systems, Inc. Mark VII portable cooling system and a liquid cooling helmet were used to cool the head and neck regions of 12 female and 12 male subjects (25-55 yr) in this study. The healthy subjects, seated in an upright position at normal room temperature (approximately 21 degrees C), were tested for 30 min with the liquid cooling garment operated at its maximum cooling capacity. Electrocardiograms and scalp and intracranial blood flows were recorded periodically during each test sequence. Scalp, right and left ear, and oral temperatures and cooling system parameters were logged every 5 min. Scalp, right and left ear canal, and oral temperatures were all significantly (P <0.05) reduced by 30 min of head and neck cooling. Oral temperatures decreased approximately 0.2-0.6 degrees C after 30 min and continued to decrease further (approximately 0.1-0.2 degrees C) for a period of approximately 10 min after removal of the cooling helmet. Intracranial blood flow decreased significantly (P < 0.05) during the first 10 min of the cooling period. Both right and left ear temperatures in the women were significantly lower than those of the men during the cooling period. These data indicate that head and neck cooling may be used to reduce core temperature to that needed for symptomatic relief of both male and female multiple sclerosis patients. This study quantifies the operating characteristics of one liquid cooling garment as an example of the information needed to compare the efficiency of other garments operated under different test conditions.