title: Contralateral antalgic effect of high-frequency transcutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the analgesic effect of high-frequency transcutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation (HF-TPNS) in the ipsilateral and contralateral skin territory of the stimulated nerve.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, cross-over study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical neurophysiology unit, institutional care, rehabilitation center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten healthy volunteers (5 male, 5 female).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants underwent 3 different sessions. In the first, heat pain thresholds (HPTs) were measured on the left dorsal hand skin without stimulation; in the second and third sessions, HPTs were measured, respectively, in the territory of the left and right radial nerve before, during, and after an electrical stimulation (10 minutes, 100 Hz, 0.1 ms) of the left superficial radial nerve.
  
  
  METHODS
  Heat pain threshold.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An increase of HPTs was observed in the skin territory of both right and left radial nerve during and after the left radial nerve stimulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study demonstrates an analgesic effect of HF-TPNS not only in the ipsilateral but also in the contralateral side of stimulation, suggesting a possible role of contralateral HF-TPNS in the treatment by physical therapy of patients with unilateral pain syndromes.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Clinical Neurophysiology & Neurodiagnostic Skin Biopsy, Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri, Scientific Institute of Pavia, Italy∗. Electronic address: michelangelo.buonocore@fsm.it.
authors.forename: Michelangelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buonocore
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Ospedale S. Corona, Pietra Ligure, Savona, Italy†
authors.forename: Nereo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Camuzzini
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy‡
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dall'Angelo
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy§
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mandrini
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy¶
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dalla Toffola
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation / Q000379:methods*