title: Thermal nociception using a modified Hargreaves method in primates and humans.
abstract: Nociception is an important protective mechanism. The Hargreaves method, which involves measuring withdrawal latency following thermal stimulation to Thermal nociception using a modified Hargreaves method in primates and humans the paw, is commonly used to measure pain thresholds in rodents. We modified this technique to measure pain thresholds in monkeys and humans. The modified Hargreaves method was used to quantitate pain sensitivity in eight normal rhesus monkeys, 55 human volunteers, and 12 patients with spinal cord or cauda equina lesions. Thermal stimulation was delivered at 80% of maximum output, and the duration of the stimulation was set at a maximum of 10 seconds to avoid skin injury. The following withdrawal latencies were recorded: 2.7 ± 0.12 seconds in volunteers and 3.4 ± 0.35 seconds in neurologically intact monkeys (p>0.05). Patients with spinal cord or cauda equina lesions showed significantly increased latencies (p<0.001). The modified Hargreaves technique is a safe and reliable method that can provide a validated measure of physiological pain sensation.
authors.forename: Zhengwen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yi Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lisa B E
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Shields
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Guofeng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Guoqiang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Benedikt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brommer
authors.forename: Xiao-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Xuejin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chirstopher B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Shields
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D059225:Nociception / Q000502:physiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D012867:Skin / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena