Reproducibility and influence of test modality order on thermal perception and thermal pain thresholds in quantitative sensory testing.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the reproducibility of quantitative sensory testing (QST), performed with the method-of-limits (MLI) at different test intervals, by assessing the inter- and intra-individual variation of thermal cold (CT) and warm (WT) perception thresholds, and of thermal cold- (CPT) and heat pain (HPT) thresholds.


METHODS
QST with the MLI was performed in 38 healthy subjects in three repeated and pseudo-randomized test sessions, done at three occasions (days 1, 2 and 7).


RESULTS
At repeated testing, none of the thermal threshold estimates showed systematic significant differences, neither between days nor between sessions within the same day, when determined as first tests (FT), and for CT and WT also after thermal pain assessment (aTPA). However, when determined directly aTPA, both CT and WT were noted significantly higher. Also the coefficients of variation and repeatability showed increased values aTPA.


CONCLUSIONS
The high reproducibility show that the MLI is a feasible method for thermal QST, with reproducible results both at shorter and longer test intervals, on condition that temperature thresholds are determined before any painful thermal stimuli are given, as the latter influence both CT and WT assessments.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings show that QST with the MLI is a reliable tool for indirect evaluation of human small nerve fiber function.
Heldestad
Victoria
V
Division of Clinical Neurophysiology, Umeå University, SE-901 85 Umeå, Sweden.
Linder
Jan
J
Sellersjö
Lisa
L
Nordh
Erik
E
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D013697:Thermosensing / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult