Method for quantitative estimation of thermal thresholds in patients.
A quantitative method for the examination of thermal sensibility was applied in 26 normal subjects and in patients with various neurological disorders. The stimulation technique resembled Békésy audiometry: the patient reversed the direction of the temperature change of a thermode whenever warm, cold, or thermal pain thresholds were reached. The resulting temperature curve enables a quantitative description of the subject's thermal sensibility and of the degree of impairment displayed by neurological patients.
D000005:Abdomen / Q000502:physiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D002610:Cheek / Q000502:physiology; D004056:Differential Threshold; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D011930:Reaction Time; D013697:Thermosensing