Characterization of Corticospinal Excitability During Progressive Skin Cooling

This study characterizes the changes in corticospinal excitability that accompany basic cold stress via skin cooling that result in reduced skin or core temperature and shivering.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Hypothermia Due to Cold Environment
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Cold Stress

Detailed Description

Cold stress is known to impair both fine and gross motor movement. Reductions in performance may have life threatening consequences in survival situations where maintenance of muscle control is necessary. Much of the effects cooling has on muscle performance is directly due to its effects on muscle tissue itself, whereas less is known about the effects on the central nervous system. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to characterize corticospinal excitability that accompanies basic cold stress via progressive skin cooling, resulting in reductions in skin (Tsk) or core (Tco) temperature and shivering.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 10
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Manitoba
    • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3T 2N2
      • 211 Max Bell Centre, University of Manitoba

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 45 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy adult
• Right Handed
• Pass Magnetic Stimulation Safety Checklist
• Pass Medical Screening Questionnaire

Exclusion Criteria:

• Left Handed
• Any adverse responses to cold exposure (Raynaud's Syndrome)
• Cardiorespiratory Disease

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control Condition; Subjects will sit at rest wearing a liquid perfused suit containing thermoneutral water for 60 min. The suit will not be turned on during this period.
Experimental: Cold Condition; Subjects will be cooled for 60-90 min at ~ 4-10°C using a liquid perfused suit. Subjects will then be rewarmed for 30 min at ~ 41°C using the liquid perfused suit.	Other: Cold Stress; 60-90 mins of cooling via a liquid perfused suit circulating ~4-10°C liquid.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Corticospinal Excitability	Motor Evoked Potentials (MEP) as a percentage of the maximal compound muscle action potential (Mmax) measured via MEG at the Biceps Brachii will serve as the indices of Corticospinal excitbaility	at 0, 20, 40, 60 and 90 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Spinal Excitability	Cervicomedullary Motor Evoked Potentials (CMEP) as a percentage of the maximal compound muscle action potential (Mmax) measured via MEG at the Biceps Brachii will serve as the indices of spinal excitability	at 0, 20, 40, 60 and 90 minutes
Change in Skin Temperature	Mean skin temperature of 7 sites	at 0, 20, 40, 60 and 90 minutes
Change in Core Temperature	Esophageal temperature is the most accurate method representing the temperature of the heart.	at 0, 20, 40, 60 and 90 minutes
Change in Metabolic Heat Production	Metabolic heat production serves as an objective way to quantify shivering thermogenesis.	at 0, 20, 40, 60 and 90 minutes

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Peripheral nerve excitability	Excitability of the peripheral nerve measured via EMG at the biceps brachia ( the maximal compound motor action potential (Mmax).	at 0, 20, 40, 60 and 90 minutes
Change in Maximal Voluntary Contraction of Elbow Flexors	Maximal Isometric Force of elbow flexors measured in kg of force	at 0, 20, 40, 60 and 90 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Manitoba
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Gordon Giesbrecht, PhD, University of Manitoba

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Hurrie DMG, Talebian Nia M, Power K, Stecina K, Gardiner P, Lockyer E, Giesbrecht GG. Spinal and corticospinal excitability in response to reductions in skin and core temperatures via whole-body cooling. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2022 Feb;47(2):195-205. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2021-0370. Epub 2021 Sep 28.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 22, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 26, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 31, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): February 5, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): December 6, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 2, 2022
• Last Verified: December 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Body Temperature, Skin Temperature, Cooling
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Body Temperature Changes; Hypothermia
• Other Study ID Numbers: E2018:047 (HS21827)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No