Influence of lateral posture on sweating: does posture alter the sympathetic outflow to the sweat glands?

ABSTRACT

Our unpublished observation that a lateral decubitus posture influences the pattern of sweating was systematically tested by measuring galvanic skin resistance (GSR). Changes in the GSR between two electrodes placed on skin was used to quantify the degree of sweating. In the lateral posture, sweating is inhibited on the lower half and stimulated on the upper half and reversal of the lateral posture induces sweating on the opposite half of the body. This observation suggests that the autonomic nervous system is controlled at least in part, by body posture.