Secondly, nervous conduction [ 60] and the sensitivity of detection thresholds of near-fall situations may be improved in the evening, which may explain the decrease in surface area when temperature and vigilance levels are higher.
This study was conducted to specify the role played by vestibular, visual, and somatosensory inputs in postural balance and their link with the diurnal fluctuations of body temperature and vigilance level.
Furthermore, it would be interesting to test the circadian rhythms of other physiological variables such as temperature and vigilance (which are the most studied because of their repercussions on human behaviour [ 21]) to examine if they evolve similarly to postural control fluctuations.
However, even if more time points would have given precise information on the relationship between postural control and temperature and/or vigilance, the times of testing (6:00 a.m. and 6 00 p.m). were chosen close to the expected bathyphase and acrophase and to allow the observation of maximal diurnal fluctuations [ 7].
Core temperature and cardiac output (Vigilance; Baxter, Edwards Critical Care) were continuously monitored.
Tympanic temperature was assessed, a psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) was administered, and saliva samples were collected.
All together, these observations justify a high vigilance towards infectious manifestations if temperature modulation measures, namely therapeutic hypothermia and controlled normothermia, are used in critical care patients.
These observations justify a high level of vigilance towards infectious manifestations if temperature modulation measures, namely therapeutic hypothermia and controlled normothermia, are used in critical care patients.
But hospitals have been slow to adopt the treatment because it requires a precision of temperature regulation that is difficult to achieve, constant vigilance and cooperation among nursing, emergency, cardiac and neurological units.
Cardiac output and blood temperature were continuously measured and recorded using a Vigilance monitor (Edwards Lifesciences).
