Fig. 1. Experimental setup. In the control subjects, thermal and mechanical testing was performed on both hands on 4 consecutive days with the same time intervals as the immobilized subjects (days 7, 42, 45, and 70). Immobilized subjects were included for periods of 70 days and participated in 10 sessions as illustrated in  A : day 0 (inclusion); day 7 (experiment 1, baseline); day 14 (cast application); days 15, 21, 28, and 35 (control of cast); day 42 (experiment 2, cast removal); day 45 (experiment 3, 3 days after cast removal); and day 70 (experiment 4, 28 days after cast removal). On experimental days 1–4, sensory (  B ) and autonomic (  C ) tests were performed at different sites on the hands: Thermal testing was performed in hairy and glabrous skin. Skin fold testing was performed on the skin fold between the thumb and the index finger, and joint pressure was performed on the proximal interphalangeal joint of the middle finger (  B ). Single skin temperature measurements (×) were performed on the pulp of each finger (sympathetic tone), the radial part of the proximal palmar crease (median nerve innervation territory, glabrous skin), the hypothenar (ulnar nerve innervation territory, glabrous skin), the central part of dorsum of the hand, and the dorsum hand between the first and second metacarpals (radial nerve innervation territory, hairy skin). Skin perfusion and skin temperature (○) were measured on the pulp of the thumb during rest, mental stress, and deep inspirations (  C ).