The cold pressor test for the pediatric population: refinement of procedures, development of norms, and study of psychological variables.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of the study were: (a) to propose focal refinements to the cold pressor test (CPT) for the pediatric population, contributing to the development of subjective and behavioral norms; (b) to analyze the influence of personal (gender, age, and skin-fold thickness), and psychological (anxiety, depression, internalization, and externalization) variables on pain perception and its correlation with room temperature.


METHODS
After a phase of adaptation in a water bath (24-27 degrees C), the child immersed one arm in cold water (10 degrees C) and reported pain threshold and tolerance.


RESULTS
The test was conducted on 141 healthy children. Pain tolerance was reached within the first minute by 50% of the children. Pain intensity affected the children's emotional status. Older children tolerated pain for longer. Gender, psychological, and environmental variables did not influence pain perception.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides methodological refinements to the CPT contributing to the development of norms for children.
Trapanotto
Manuela
M
Department of Pediatrics, University of Padua, Italy. manuela.trapanotto@unipd.it
Pozziani
Giorgio
G
Perissinotto
Egle
E
Barbieri
Sara
S
Zacchello
Franco
F
Benini
Franca
F
D017677:Age Distribution; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D003080:Cold Temperature; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012885:Skinfold Thickness