title: Measuring mechanical pain: the refinement and standardization of pressure pain threshold measurements.
abstract: Pain thresholds are widely used in behavioral research, but unlike other pain modalities, a standardized assessment of pressure pain remains a challenge. In this research, we describe the application of an automatic pressure algometer with a linear increase in force. Ergonomically designed fixation devices were developed to increase the accuracy and to shorten the time of each measurement. Ten healthy volunteers were included in a pilot study to test the algometry method. Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) were investigated over 2 experimental days in three nonconsecutive runs at 29 measurement sites. During the experiment, subjects reported their subjective sleepiness, level of state-anxiety, psychological status and the perceived pain intensity of each measurement. Pain intensity ratings indicate that instructions were followed. State-anxiety and subjective sleepiness levels were low throughout the experiment. The method has proven to be suitable for standardized PPT measurements across the body in an ergonomic, safe, and user-friendly fashion.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, 55131, Mainz, Germany, melia@uni-mainz.de.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melia
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Geissler
authors.forename: Jochem
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: König
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Krahn
authors.forename: Hans Jürgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ottersbach
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Letzel
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muttray
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D035841:Behavioral Research / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011312:Pressure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results