The orchestration of autonomous and behavioral thermoregulation

There seems to be an efficient order in the recruitment of thermo-effectors, which allows for body temperature regulation at minimal cost of nutrients and water. But how does thermal behaviour fit in this order? In this edition Schlader et al. hypothesized that thermal behavior fits in the orderly recruitment of thermo-effectors as follows: 1) vasomotor responses, 2) behavioral responses, and 3) sweating or metabolic responses. Their results support this hypothesis by showing consistently for heating and cooling that non-glabrous skin blood flow changes immediately with changes in skin temperature, followed by the initiation of a behavioral response. The editorial focus is on old and new questions that are raised by the findings of Schlader et al, and how they pave the way to better understand the underlying regulatory and integrative human physiology of thermoregulation.

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