title: Somatosensory evoked potentials associated with thermal activation of type II Adelta mechanoheat nociceptive afferents.
abstract: We evaluated evoked potentials (EPs) to noxious contact heat pulses delivered to hairy skin of healthy adults. Heat pulses from an adapting temperature of 34 degrees C to a target temperature of 52 degrees C, produced two scalp positive waves. The first peaked at 44 degrees to 45 degrees C (approximately 500 ms following stimulus onset), while the second peaked approximately 300 ms following the 52 degrees C heat pulse (approximately 1 s after stimulus onset). The first positive wave was absent from an adapting temperature of 39 degrees C, suggesting loss of synchronized activation of warm and/or low threshold mechanothermal afferents. The second EP was observed following stimulation from both adapting temperatures and was associated with subjective report of first pain. Latency difference of the pain EP from arm and leg were consistent with conduction in Adelta nociceptive afferents (approximately 10/ms). EPs to painful contact thermal stimuli may be of value in the evaluation of small fiber peripheral neuropathies and assessment of altered pain states.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontology, Phychiatry and Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonnealth University, Richmond 23298-0266, USA. harkins@hsc.vcu.edu
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Harkins
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Itskovich
authors.forename: D Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Fei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology*; D005121:Extremities / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology*; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D013823:Thermoreceptors / Q000502:physiology*