Indian Journal of Clinical Anatomy and Physiology

Page: 483-487

Introduction: It is a known fact that elderly males have a faster reaction time than females, and females exhibit greater pain sensitivity than males. Results on body core temperature between genders are inconsistent. Alternate Nostril Breathing (ANB) exercises were known to modulate the autonomic nervous system. The present study was done to find whether such differences between elderly males and females on pain sensitivity, body temperature and reaction time still persisted after ANB exercises.
Objectives: 1. To measure the pain sensitivity, body temperature and reaction time in elderly males and females; 2: To compare the effects of 30 minutes of ANB exercises on all these parameters between elderly males and females.
Materials and Methods: 30 elderly males (n=14) and females (n=16) with a mean age of 70.3 years participated in the study. Pain sensitivity was measured with digital algometer, temperature with clinical thermometer and reaction time with choice time apparatus before and immediately after ANB exercises.
Results: A significant decrease (<0.001) in all the three parameters was observed after ANB exercises in both genders. No significant difference was observed between elderly males and females on pain sensitivity, body temperature and reaction time to red light, green light &click sound except for tone (<0.019).
Conclusion: Reaction time became faster; pain sensitivity and temperature decreased immediately after ANB exercise and this could be due to the balancing effect of the autonomic nervous system. No difference existed between genders after ANB except for tone.

Keywords: Breathing exercise, Gender, Elderly, Pain, Temperature, Reaction time.