Skip to main content
Log in

Simultaneous measurement of electrical admittance, blood flow and temperature at the same skin site with a specially designed probe

  • Transducers and Electrodes
  • Published:
Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Measurement of electrodermal activity (EDA) has long been an important tool in psychophysiological research. Both sweat gland secretion and skin blood flow (SBF) are influenced by activity in the autonomic nervous system. In order to examine evoked responses in EDA and SBF we have developed a method to measure skin unipolar electrical admittance, skin blood flow and skin temperature simultaneously at the same skin site. With a specially designed combined probe, both conductance and capacitance (using a three electrode lock-in amplifier measuring system), blood flow (using a laser Doppler flowmetry) and temperature (using a thermistor) were recorded on a four channel chart during baseline condition and during various physiological stimuli. The combined probe and the instrumentation of this method are described. Experimental results from measurements of 12 normal adult subjects are shown. Possible applications of the method in physiological, psychological and clinical research are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bini, G., Hagbarth, K. E., Hynninen, P. andWallin, B. G. (1980) Thermoregulatory and rhythm-generated mechanisms governing the sudomotor and vasoconstrictor outflow in human cutaneous nerves.J. Physiol.,306, 537–552.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darrow, C. W. (1927) Sensory, secretory and electrical changes in the skin following bodily excitation.J. Expt. Psychol.,10, 197–226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fere, C. (1888) Note sur des modifications de la resistance electrique sous l’influence des excitations sensorielles et des emotions.C. R. Soc. Biol.,5, 217–219.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folkow, B. andNeil, F. (1971)Circulation. Oxford Univ. Press, 449–465.

  • Geddes, L. A. (1972)Electrode and measurement of bioelectric events. Wiley Interscience, New York, 55–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goadby, K. W. andGoadby, H. K. (1949) The nervous pathway of the psychogalvanic reflex.J. Physiol.,109, 177–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grimnes, S. (1982a) Skin capacitance as a measure of effective electrode area.World congress med. phys. and biomed. eng., Hamburg, 7.16.

  • Grimnes, S. (1982b) Psychogalvanic reflex and changes in electrical parameter of dry skin. Med. & Biol. Eng. & Comput.,20, 734–740.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grimnes, S. (1983) Impedane measurement of individual skin surface electrodes.,21, 750–755.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lader, M. H. andMontagu, J. D. (1962) The psycho-galvanic reflex: A pharmacologic study of the peripheral mechanism.J. Neur. Neurosurg. & Psych.,25, 126–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDowall, R. J. S. (1933) The physiology of the psychogalvanic reflex.J. Expt. Physiol. 23, 277–285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, R. D. (1968) Silver-silver chloride electrodermal electrodes.Psychophysiol.,5, 92–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montagu, I. D. andColes, E. M. (1966) Mechanism and measurement of the galvanic skin response.Physiological Bull.,65, 261–279.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mørkrid, L., Ohm, O. J. andHammer, E. (1980) Signal source impedance of implanted pacemaker electrodes estimated from the spectral ratio between loaded and unloaded electrograms in man.Med. & Biol. Eng. & Comput.,18, 223–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nilsson, G., Tenland, T. andOberg, P. (1980) A new instrument for continuous measurement of tissue blood flow by lightbeating spectroscopy.IEEE Trans.,BME-27, 597–604.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nilsson, L. (1982) Relationship between evoked skin-conductance response and evaporation-water-loss response following acoustic stimulation.Med. & Biol. Eng. & Comput.,20, 687–692.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson, F. andJung, C. G. (1907) Psychophysiological investigation with the galvano meter and pneumograph in normal and insane individuals.Brain,30, 153–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Qiao, Z. G. Mørkrid, L. andGrimnes, S. (1986) Simultaneous measurement of evoked potential, electrical admittance, blood flow at the same site of human palmar skin.Third Int. Evoked Potential Symp., Berlin, PS1/34.

  • Tenland, T. (1982) On laser Doppler flowmeter, methods and microvascular application. Linkoping university medical dissertation No. 136, Sweden.

  • Venables, P. H. andChristie, M. J. (1980) Electrodermal activity. InMartin, I. andVenables, P. H. (Eds.)Techniques in Psychophysiology. John Wiley & Sons, 9–45.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Qiao, ZG., Mørkrid, L. & Grimnes, S. Simultaneous measurement of electrical admittance, blood flow and temperature at the same skin site with a specially designed probe. Med. Biol. Eng. Comput. 25, 299–304 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02447428

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02447428

Keywords

Navigation