An examination by forearm EMG on pain reaction time to radiant heat.
The present study was done to estimate rise in skin temperature during a pain reaction time (pain RT) as a means of investigating why a pricking pain threshold, produced by thermal stimulation using time method, often increases during repeated measurements. The pain RT, or the time-delay between occurrence of pain sensation and a subsequent motor response, was measured by making EMG recording on a forearm. The radiant heat stimuli were three, 200, 300, and 350 mcal/sec./cm2, each of which was given through a round radiation window of an algesiometer head. Analysis showed that the pain RTs would be too short to explain higher pain thresholds often found using the time method.
Hatayama
T
T
Department of Psychology, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
Shimizu
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000294:innervation*; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D013697:Thermosensing / Q000502:physiology*