Comparative study of circadian variation in oral, tympanic, forehead, axillary and elbow pit temperatures measured in a cohort of young university students living their normal routines

Abstract

The primary objective of the present research work is to study and compare the circadian variability in body temperature recorded from different locations of the body during subjects’ normal routines. Temperatures of oral cavity (sublingually), tympanum, forehead, axilla and the elbow pit were measured simultaneously at approximate 1-h intervals for five consecutive days during subjects’ waking span in their routine living condition. The observations were made in eight young, apparently healthy, university students. Data were analysed using cosinor rhythmometry for evaluation of circadian rhythms and two-way ANOVA with repeated measures to assess the effect of time of day and measuring site on body temperatures and their interaction. Significant circadian rhythms in body temperature, irrespective of site, were found. Based on autocorrelation analysis, it was observed that the day-to-day variability in body temperature was consistent. The acrophases of all the studied temperature rhythms were located in the afternoon, except axillary temperature, which occurred in the early evening. The mean daytime temperature was found to be the highest when recorded sublingually and it was the lowest on the forehead or elbow pit. On the basis of the results of this study, we recommend that the methods used could be introduced into laboratory courses in a curriculum of chronobiology courses for both UG and PG classes for the demonstration/study of circadian rhythms in body temperature under normal routines. The methods used are valuable as they are non-invasive, easily accepted and assessable in a student setting.

Keywords:

• circadian rhythm
• oral temperature
• axillary temperature
• tympanic temperature
• forehead temperature
• elbow pit temperature

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, through its DRS-SAP Scheme sanctioned to the School of Life Sciences, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur, in the thrust area, Chronobiology. We acknowledge our thanks to the volunteers, who participated in this study. Last but not the least, we are obliged to an unknown reviewer, who has helped us in improving the paper considerably.