English

DTIC ADA398370: Arm/Hand Cooling in the Cold Exposure Survival Model

The previously developed Cold Exposure Survival Model (CESM) is limited to predictions of cognitive impairment and survival time (time to lethal hypothermia) under conditions of cold exposure. The present development addresses motor function impairment of the arms and hands that usually occurs before cognitive impairment and well before the onset of lethal hypothermia. Two data sources were used for this purpose, one based on a field study designed to simulate survival situations and the other based on a review of the literature. The field study involved 28 healthy males on survival training divided into five groups and exposed for 6 continuous days on different occasions during two winter seasons. Despite mean(+/- SD) air temperatures ranging from -24.4+/-3.9 to 4.4+/-2.5 deg C among groups, deep body temperature T(sub core) remained normal averaging from 37.1 to 37.5 deg C. However, finger temperature T(sub finger) was significantly correlated to T(sub air) as follows: T(sub finger)=16.7+0.28*T(sub air) (r=0.53; p0.0001). Grip strength, knot-tying, and nut-bolt assembly performance decreased most for the coldest-exposed group, which is consistent with the low T(sub finger) measur

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