[Prevalence of child and teenage obesity in schools in Dakar]. / Prévalence de l'obésité de l'enfant et de l'adolescent en milieu scolaire à Dakar.

Obesity is currently viewed as a serious worldwide public health issue. In this survey, we aim to determine its prevalence among schoolchildren and teenagers in Dakar. The sample of our survey consisted of 2,356 students aged 11-17, including 1,110 boys and 1,246 girls. For each of them, we have calculated their body mass index. Based on the higher value of the norm of that index, referred to the 97th percentile of Rolland-Cachera MF's curves, we have identified obese students according to their age and sex. The prevalence of obesity within our sample is 9.34%, with 2.88% for boys and 6.46% for girls. It is at its peak in the age of 11, though there is no significance (p > 0.05) in its decrease (from age 12 to 17). There are significantly (p < 0.05) more obese students in "catholic private" schools than in "public" schools where schooling is free. Child and teenage obesity is a reality in Dakar schools. Consequently, it is advisable to determine its nationwide prevalence to take on its prevention as well as its cure.

[Epilepsy in a cohort of Senegalese children]. / Epilepsie dans le contexte neuropédiatrique sénégalais.

Epilepsy is a significant health public problem in Senegal with an estimated prevalence of 8 to 14%. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical and electroencephalographic features of epilepsy in a cohort of Senegalese infants, search for etiological factors and determine the impact of disease on school life. This retrospective study concerned 459 children who attended the neurological outpatients clinic at the Fann hospital, Dakar, Senegal, between July 2003 and December 2006. All were aged under 19 years. Among the 135 children with idiopathic epilepsy, 23.7% had parental consanguinity and 37.77 % familial epilepsy. Rolandic epilepsy and epilepsy with absences were more frequent but several infants with idiopathic epilepsy were not classified. Non-idiopathic epilepsy was noted in 312 children. In this group, estimates of parental consanguinity and familial epilepsy were of 21.79 and 17.94%, respectively. Etiological factors were predominantly pregnancy and birth abnormalities (28.84%) and central nervous system infection (20.19%). Twelve children had febrile seizures. Of patients with idiopathic epilepsy, 65.18% were attending school versus only 9.29 with non-idiopathic epilepsy.

[Supervision of body composition and cardiovascular parameters in long sprint running athletes (400 m)]. / L'entrainement au sprint long (400 metres plat): suivi de la composition corporelle, des constantes cardiovasculaires et de l'electrocardiogramme des athletes.

INTRODUCTION: The follow-up of performances and the prevention about possible incidents at the athletes make necessary the medical supervision in physical training. The aims of this study are to estimate the effect of a precompetition training program in athletes' body composition, and cardiovascular modifications (in clinical examination and electrocardiogram) MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten athletes (3 men and 7 women; mean age of 23.6 +/- 3.16 years) of Dakar international Athletics' Center are subjected to a training on a period of 2 months in aerobic dominant followed by a period of 3 months in anaerobic dominant. At the beginning and the end of training program, an electrocardiogram is recorded after blood pressure (BP) measure in lying and standing posture and heart rate (HR) take. The weight, height and cutaneous folds are measured to calculate the body fat percentage, fat body mass, fat-free mass and body mass index. Every athlete has performed the Ruffier test Comparisons are realized by the paired t-test, statistically significant for a p value < 0,05 RESULTS: Significant declines after training interest HR (79.2 +/- 14.7 vs 63.2 +/- 10.25 beat min(-1); p< 0.001), systolic BP in standing posture (11.8 +/- 0.44 vs 10.6 +/- 0.96 mmHg; p= 0.02), and Ruffier index (4.4 +/- 3.28 vs 2.23 +/- 1.62; p= 0.048) whereas the fat-free mass increased (53.14 +/- 8.41 vs 54.16 +/- 9.67 kg; p= 0.046). At the electrocardiogram, the number of athletes having sinusal bradycardia is crossed from 1 to 4; there is no modification as for the two cases of uncomplete right bundle-branch block and the pre-existent left ventricular hypertrophy. Negative T waves in V1 and V2 leads are present in one athlete before training and in two others after. CONCLUSION: The impact of the specific training on body is real, interesting more the cardiovascular system.

Profile of black woman in Senegal with breast cancer.

To describe the profile of Senegalese black women with breast cancer. This is a retrospective and prospective study of patients receiving care for breast cancer in the breast diseases department of the Aristide Le Dantec Teaching Hospital in Dakar from 2010 through June 2014. 188 women patients met the inclusion criteria. Their mean age at diagnosis was 43.3 years. The age of onset of the first menses was early (<12 years) in 7 patients (4.9%). More than two thirds of the women (71.6%) were premenopausal at diagnosis. At least one pregnancy was reported by 161 women (86.1%) and 96.3 had given birth. Mean age at first pregnancy was 19.47 years, and 85.9% had had their first pregnancy before the age of 30. Similarly, 133 (87.3%) had breastfed, for a mean duration of 18.36 months. In our country, breast cancer occurs in young women, who had their first menses after 12 years, are premenopausal, had their first pregnancy before the age of 30, and breastfed for several months. These data suggest that further study of this profile is needed but that the testing policy must change drastically, to start much earlier than 50 years.

[Comparative study of the effect of fasting during Ramadan on the glycaemia at rest in sportsmen and sedentaries]. / Etude comparative de l'effet du jeûne du ramadan sur la glycémie au repos chez des sportifs et des sédentaires.

The fast of Ramadan submits body to transient metabolic modifications; and decrease of glycaemia can be one of results. Physical exercise modifies rate of plasmatic hormones responsible for its regulation. The purpose of this study is to appreciate the influence of the fast on this biologic parameter in sportsmen and sedentaries. Thirty (30) healthy subjects (15 sportsmen of stamina and 15 sedentaries), with 25 years of average age were recruited. They have all a comparable diet. We excluded subjects having practised a physical exercise the day of the test. Capillary glycaemia was measured after weighed and physical exam, in 2 periods: in second Ramadan's fortnight, 15 minutes before food intake, two (2) months after Ramadan at least 4 hours at distance of the last meal. Comparisons were remitted in the test of Student, significant for p value lower than 0.05. During Ramadan, the glycaemia of the sportsmen at rest, is at one exception always superior or equal to that of the sedentaries. However, there is non significant difference as much during the fast as in normal food intake. Respective averages are 4.6 mmol/l, 0.15 and 4.5 mmol/l, 0.01 during Ramadan. They cross then in 4.8 mmol/l, 0.2 and 4.8 mmol/l, 0.4 in normal food intake. Landmark, the comparison of the averages from period to the other one in every group shows a significant difference only for the sedentaries. The return to normal food intake was expressed by an important gain in weight for all subjects. The fast of Ramadan has no notorious influence on sportsman's glycaemia contrary to that of sedentary. In other words, the sportsman administers better his stocks of glucose. Previous works however strongly advised against sports practice during Ramadan and more particularly the competitions, because, exercises of strong intensity can induce dehydration.

[Physical performance and thermoregulatory study of subjects with sickle cell trait during a sub-maximal exercise]. / Etude de la performance physique et de la thermoregulation des sujets porteurs du trait drepanocytaire au cours d'un exercice sous maximal.

The sickle cell trait is a genetic abnormality of red blood cells. It is due to the mutation of a parental gene, which rest Its to the substitution of glutamic acid by valin on beta globin chain of haemoglobin. The possibility for sickle cell trait carriers (SCT) to present any disturbance during predominantly anaerobic and aerobic exercises is unclear. Ten (10) subjects with sickle cell trait and 10 subjects control were studied during exercise test on cycloergometer. They were all students of the National Institute of Popular Education and Sport of Dakar. The mean of environmental temperature was 26 degrees C and humidity was 60 to 80%. After haematological analysis, a submaximal muscular exercise for one hour with 75% of maximal heart rate was done. We have determined heart rate, blood pressure, rectal and skin temperature during exercise. Haematological parameters shown any significant difference between the two groups. No significant difference was found in cardiocirculatory variables during maximal exercise in cycloergometer between control group and sickle cell trait group. The two groups have done submaximal exercise during 1 hour without particular difficulty. We have not observed a significant difference between the two groups in cardiovascular variables, rectal and skin temperature during exercise, and after 3 minutes of rest. These results show that subjects with SCT have physical capacity comparable with control subjects during a sub maximal exercise for 1 hour. We can assure that subjects with SCT in our country may participate in sports competition, as well as normal subjects (HbAA).

[Arterial hypertension in Dakar: Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control]. / L'hypertension artérielle à Dakar : prévalence, connaissance, traitement et contrôle.

The aim of this study was to determine prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension, and its risk factors in Dakar. Six hundred people aged 20 and older, living in the city of Dakar were interviewed. This sample was constructed using the combined quota method in order to strive to representativeness of the target population. Prevalence of hypertension was 27.50%. Quarter of those suffering from high blood pressure were aware of their problem, and among the latter, 61% said they were on treatment. However, of these, only 32% had controlled arterial blood pressure, that is less than 6% of those suffering from hypertension. Two factors were associated with hypertension, awareness, and treatment: age and the frequency of doctor visits. These results indicate that hypertension already constitutes a major health concern in the Senegalese capital. Detection can be considerably improved given that only a quarter of the hypertensives are aware of this problem. Compliance with treatments also appears particularly problematic. Public health policies should be quickly set up to minimize the consequences of this emerging burden.

[Access to health care in Dakar (Senegal): frequency, type of provider, and non-communicable chronic diseases]. / Accès aux soins à Dakar (Sénégal): fréquence, type de soignants et maladies chroniques non transmissibles.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To describe access to health care in the population of Dakar; (2) to analyze the influence of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics on access to health care; (3) and to describe the fraction of consultations accounted for by chronic non-communicable diseases. METHODS: These data come from a 2009 survey of 600 individuals aged 20 years and over. Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and information about access to health care were collected. Chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions were used for the statistical analyses. RESULTS: Men, people with no schooling, and poor people were underrepresented among users of health care services. Moreover, the majority of Dakar residents who sought health care during the year preceding the survey went to see a doctor (as opposed to a traditional healer, pharmacist, nurse, midwife, or dentist). Finally, chronic diseases accounted for the smallest fraction of reasons for medical consultations; they were mentioned most often by those aged 50 years or older who consult more than 5 times a year. CONCLUSIONS: Dakar residents have an access to health care similar to that of people in other African countries, but this conclusion hides major inequalities. Moreover, at the same time that Senegal is undergoing an epidemiological transition, chronic non-communicable diseases are not a major reason for consultations. The epidemiological projections made for Africa for the next 15 years indicate that the development of strategies to avert the development of these diseases in Senegal must be a priority objective.

[Prevalence of hypertension and assessment of its impact on self-rated health in rural populations: a cross-sectional study in northern Senegal]. / Prévalence de l'hypertension artérielle et perception de son impact sur la santé par les populations rurales: étude transversale dans la région nord du Sénégal.

INTRODUCTION: High blood pressure (hypertension) is a growing public health problem, and its impact on the overall health of patients in Africa is not well known. The objective of this study was to determine its prevalence and its influence on self-rated health among people living in rural areas of Senegal. POPULATION AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted over a two-week period in the rural communities of Labgar and Lougré Thiolly, located in the central northern region of Senegal, in an agricultural area. Randomly recruited volunteers were questioned during direct individual interviews about socio-demographic (age, sex, marital status, education, occupation) and lifestyle data (smoking or alcohol, physical activity). Clinical data (medical history, weight, height, blood pressure, course of treatment) were also collected. Self-rated health (SRH) was assessed by asking if they felt their health was bad or good. RESULTS: We included 627 patients with a mean age of 40.93 ± 17.2 years (range: 15-100 years), 59.9% of them women. Illiteracy and overweight were more common among women than among men, and smoking and alcohol consumption more frequent in men. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 23.4% and did not differ significantly between men (24.9%) and women (22.4%)(P = 0.50). Self-rated health was similar in men and women (with respectively 66.9% and 72.9% reporting good health, P = 0.10). On univariate analysis, the factors associated with perceived health status were age (OR = 1.34, P = 0.04), smoking (OR = 2.16, P = 0.03), educational level (OR = 1.21, P = 0.04), and the presence of hypertension (OR = 0.63, P = 0.05). The multivariate regression analysis showed that among women, advanced age (≥50 years) and hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg) were associated with poorer perceived health, whereas for men, only smoking was significantly correlated with poor health status (OR = 0.41, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study shows that hypertension is common in this rural area of Senegal and is significantly associated with a lower self-rated health in women but not men. In the absence of longitudinal studies in these populations and given the predictive value of SRH, this correlation suggests higher morbidity and mortality in women with hypertension.

[Ageing and chronic diseases in Senegal. A comparison between rural (Ferlo) and urban (Dakar) populations]. / Vieillissement et pathologies chroniques au Sénégal. Comparaison entre des populations vivant en milieu rural (Ferlo) et urbain (Dakar).

The objectives of this study were: to compare the prevalence of hypertension, overweight and obesity in rural (Ferlo) and urban (Dakar) Senegalese populations aged 50 and over. The survey was conducted on individuals aged 50 and older living in the rural area (N=478) and in the urban area (N=220). We have collected data about age, gender, marital status, education level, and knowledge, treatment of hypertension, height, weight and blood pressure. We have observed that overweight and obesity were more prevalent in the urban area (Dakar) than in the rural one (Ferlo). The risk of overweight or obesity decreased when age increased, and women had weight problems more often than men. The prevalence of arterial hypertension was lower in rural area (55.86%) than in Dakar (66.36%), but increased at an older age. However, the logistic regression showed that these increased proportion of hypertension in Dakar is linked to the more important proportion of overweight and obese people in this area. Moreover, rates of knowledge, treatment and control of hypertension are particularly low in the rural area of Senegal. In conclusion, age-associated diseases should be better managed in Senegal, particularly in rural areas.

Diabetes Burden in Urban and Rural Senegalese Populations: A Cross-Sectional Study in 2012.

Diabetes represents a challenging global health issue in the 21st century. Data from sub-Saharan African populations are scarce and are usually restricted to urban settings. The objective of this study was to compare prevalence and risk factors of diabetes in rural and urban areas in Senegal. Methods. In a community-based survey between January and May 2012, we included 1027 adults aged ≥18 years living in northern Senegal. Sociodemographic, clinical, and biological data were collected during household visits. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with diabetes. Results. Mean age of participants was 48.0 ± 16.9 years and 65.7% were female. Participants from urban area represented 55.7%. The age-standardized prevalence of diabetes was 7.6% (6.0% in men versus 9.0% in women). Prevalence of diabetes was higher in urban areas (8.1%) compared to rural areas (4.6%). Disease awareness rate was 43%. After multivariate analysis, age (OR = 1.63, p = 0.001), familial history of diabetes (OR = 1.42, p = 0.001), and abdominal obesity (OR = 1.17, p = 0.05) were associated with diabetes. Conclusion. Diabetes is frequent in urban and rural areas in Senegal. Awareness rate is very low among populations. Age, family history of diabetes, and abdominal obesity are the main risk factors identified.

[EEG spike focus topography: study of potential fields]. / Cartographie d'amplitude dans les foyers de pointes EEG: étude des champs de potentiels.

Mapping study of EEG spike focus was performed on 122 topographic maps, from 88 records of 72 subjects, classified in: F for "functional" (no epileptic seizure); EGI, EGS and EGC: respectively generalized idiopathic, symptomatic and cryptogenic epilepsies; EPI, EPS and EPC: respectively partial idiopathic, symptomatic and cryptogenic epilepsies--epilepsies with centro-temporal spikes (EPR) are predominant in this group--; EI: indeterminate epilepsies. The graphoelements study: morphology, localization, amplitude, time course (sites of appearance, culmination and disappearance) and of electrical fields: distribution, monopolar, bipolar or intermediary aspect was performed. In order to quantify the brain mapping data we established series of numeric parameters: maximal negative and positive values; sum of the negative and positive values; ratio of these values. EGS and EPS groups have very variable map imaging for a patient or from a patient to another, r1 ratio is lower to 0.33. Idiopathic epilepsies are characterised by the stability of imaging, in the EGI group aspect is frequently monopolar with a central negativity, r1 and r2 ratios are high (0.9 and 1.2); in the EPI group the aspect can be monopolar or bipolar, in the EPR the aspect is stable, longitudinal bipolar, r1 and r2 ratios are between 0.33 and 0.99. In the EGC, EPC and EI groups there is no typical imaging, the mapping aspect can be monopolar or bipolar, in EGC and EPC r1 ratio is between 0 and 0.99, in EI r1 and r2 ratios are low (r1 = r2 = 0.2). In the F group the monopolar aspect is frequent. We can note the stability of the electrical fields apportionment in idiopathic epilepsies which is explainable by the integrity of the cerebral potential propagation pathways in spite of a dysfunction responsible of the epileptic seizures, the presence of a lesion is one of the responsible factors of the instability of the brain mapping.

[Spatial orienting of attention: a study of reaction time during pointing movement]. / Orientation spatiale de l'attention: étude des temps de réaction lors du mouvement de pointage.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate how advance information both explicit and implicit provided prior to movement may affect the spatial orientation and the internal attention control processes in normal adult subjects. The originality of this work compared to the test of Posner, lies essentially in the methodology used to study the attentional systems. The use of three procedures of reaction time (RT) allowed us to study the setting concerned of the specific and non-specific components of the attention in the motor preparation. By associating of these three procedures of RT, we have evaluated the effects of the explicit and implicit components of advance information on motor preparation. The use of advance information to the movement requires the implication of the attentional systems. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Experiments were carried out using a simple reaction time (RT) procedure involving the use of an orientation cue and two choice reaction time situations: one with a neutral preparatory cue and one with a priming cue giving the likelihood of the preparatory stimulus (S1) being compatible with the imperative stimulus (S2). The mechanisms underlying the subjects' vigilance and the orientation of their attention were studied by assessing the effects on their reaction times of the preparatory signal and those of the cue giving the likelihood of S1 and S2 being compatible. The preparatory signal was designed to explicitly attract the subjects' attention towards the position of the forthcoming pointing target, whereas the cue giving the compatibility between S1 and S2 was intended to mobilize the subject's attention more implicitly. Prior to performing the pointing movement towards a visual target, the subjects' attention was therefore mobilized by the advance information containing two components: the explicit information about the position of S1 and the implicit information about the probability of S1 and S2 being compatible. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The results obtained here on 17 normal adult subjects show that the subjects significantly improved their RTs by using the explicit component of the information provided. The implicit information available was also used in the choice reaction situations: a priming effect was found to occur, which resulted in the shortening of the primed "compatible cue" reaction times in comparison with the "neutral cue" reaction times, and in the correlation which was found to exist between the reaction time performances and the degree of compatibility between the preparatory signal and the imperative signal. These results suggest that various components of the attentional system may participate in processing the advance information provided prior to the movement in reaction time tasks of the kind used here. The explicit information provided prior to the movement may mobilize the subject's vigilance and spatially orients his attention; whereas the implicit information available may rather subserve the internal control of the subject's attention.

[Effects of advance information given by sensory cues on the duration and precision of a pointing movement in Parkinson's disease]. / Effets de l'information préalable donnée par des indices sensoriels sur la durée et la précision d'un mouvement de pointage dans la maladie de Parkinson.

The aim of the present study was to investigate Parkinsonians' ability to process and use the explicit and implicit advance information available about a motor task they are preparing to perform. For this purpose, the performances of 13 Parkinsonians were compared with those of 11 control subjects in a double stimulus reaction time task. The explicit information was provided by a preparatory auditory signal (S1), and the implicit information was conveyed by the probability that the imperative signal (S2) would be consistent with S1 in a given series of trials. Each subject performed 3 successive RT tasks under the following conditions: an oriented cue condition, a neutral cue condition and a primed condition. The results show that the movement times of the Parkinsonians were longer than those of the control subjects, and that they lengthened with the clinical evolution of the disease. Neither the explicit nor the implicit advance information had any effect on the control subjects' performance variables; nor did they affect the Parkinsonians' movement times or pointing areas. The Parkinsonians' systematic errors increased however in the case of primed responses. The fact that the patients' bradykinesia was associated with fairly accurate pointing performances suggests that in Parkinson's disease, a change of voluntary movement performance strategy may occur, involving greater reliance on visual cues.

[Effects of spatial orientation on attention reaction time during pointing movement towards visual direction]. / Effets de l'orientation spatiale de l'attention sur le temps de réaction lors du mouvement de pointage sur une cible visuelle.

In the present study, it was consequently proposed to investigate how the spatial orientation of attention made by the explicit and implicit components of advance information, affected the reaction time (RT) performances. Subjects performed a simple RT task with an orientation cue and two choice RT situations, the one with a neutral cue and the other with a primed cue. The motor task to be performed consisted of pointing towards a visual target. The mechanisms involved in the orientation of attention were studied on the one hand by analysing the effects of the preparatory signal, which explicitly oriented the subjects' attention towards the forthcoming target position, and on the other hand, by examining whether the reinforced probability of warning stimulus(WS) and imperative stimulus (IS) being compatible affected the subjects' performances, i.e., whether they detected and made use of the information implicitly conveyed that there existed a bias in favour of the probability that IS would appear in the direction predicted by WS. The results of this study show that the subjects shortened their RTs by using both the explicit(auditory) and the implicit(probability-related) information with which they were provided prior to performing the movement. These data on the effects of the oriented auditory signal on the reaction times indicate that in our experiments, by orienting their attention depending on the position of the stimuli, the subjects were able to reduce their reaction times. The significant correlation found to exist here between the level of probability associated with the position of the WS and the choice RT values indicates that also the implicit information as to the WS-IS compatibility was taken into account by the subjects in all the situations.

[Etiological aspects of non-tubercular spinal cord compression in Senegal (report of 253 cases)]. / Aspects étiologiques des compressions médullaires non pottiques au Sénégal (a propos de 253 observations).

Although always dominated by Pott's Affliction, other medullar compression etiologies nevertheless constitute an important chapter in medullar pathology. Retrospective study of 253 files on non-Pottic medullar compressions compiled over 16 years (January 1972 to December 1987) led the authors to the following conclusions: non-Pottic L.M.C.s. are predominant in men aged between 40 and 50, their clinical symptoms show no peculiarities; ordinary X-rays or myelography will often reveal the mechanism of the compression; etiologically, extradural compressions represent 65% of the causes, with secondary cancer of the spine (97 cases) and epiduritis playing an important role, followed by extramedullary intradural causes (70 cases), although meningioma are relatively rare (8 cases). Finally, intramedullary tumours in this series exclusively made up of glioma seem rare.

[Anatomophysiologic and clinical study of the association of epilepsy and Parkinson's disease: apropos of 2 cases]. / Etude clinique et anatomophysiologique de l'association épilepsie et maladie de Parkinson: àpropos de deux observations.

The authors described the first cases in Senegal (West Africa) of the association Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. Almost studies on this feature, stressed on their different pathophysiology basis epilepsy is related on excess of neuronal excitation, and Parkinson disease is an expression of lack of motor neuromodulation. The diagnosis has been done because of the coming out two seizures in the year on two patients one 59 years old and the other 70 years old experiencing Parkinson disease well documented before and treated. Biological study, ultrasonography and Doppler, CT Scan lead to rule out a vasculopathy. Good outcome with antiparkinsonian and anticonvulsant medications confirm the diagnosis.

[Transplantation of cryopreserved carotids in the rabbit: effect of cryoprotective agents]. / Transplantation de carotides cryopréservées chez le lapin: effet des agents cryoprotecteurs.

The cryopreservation of blood vessels has been carried out for some decades with variable results. In order to study the behaviour of cryopreserved allografts by using new technique of cryopreservation a study on the ultrastructure arterial tissue consequences by microscopic techniques has been carried. The graft has been harvested from carotid artery of donor rabbit, implanted to a carotid artery of a recipient rabbit and extracted at 1, 3 and 5 months after the operation. An intimal thickening and a cellular loss in the media have been observed. However, good patency has been observed in all cryopreserved allografts. Manifestations of rejection are delayed in groups with polyethylene glycol.

[Rectal temperature trends during 24 hours in a hot climate with and without nutritional support]. / Evolution de la température rectale sur 24 heures en climat chaud avec et sans apport nutritionnel.

A group of 22 young subjects staying in rest was studied in the aim to follow the nycthemeral evolution of the rectal temperature, according to two situations: 1) normal feeding, 2) absence of feeding. The use of drinking water was not limited. The experimentation was carried out in tropical area, Kédougou (Eastern Senegal), during a high period of temperature. The mean of day temperature was 38 degrees C and the night temperature, 22 degrees C. The skin and rectal temperature, the arterial pressure and the cardiac frequency were measured every three hours. The results showed a significant difference in the nycthemeral rythm of the rectal temperatures. The nocturnal temperatures were not different in the two conditions. We observed a significant elevation (delta = 0.31 +/- 0.18 degree C) of the diurne post prandial temperature. The results supported that the thermic modification observed during the experience were linked to the feed.