title: Reliability and Convergent Validity of the Algometer for Vestibular Pain Assessment in Women with Provoked Vestibulodynia.
abstract: Women with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) suffer pain at the entry of the vagina elicited by pressure as during vaginal penetration. To quantify vestibular pain, we developed a new instrument, an algometer. The aim of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability of the algometer and evaluate its convergent validity for vestibular pain assessment in women with PVD.
  
  
  
  Twenty-six women with PVD participated in the study. Vestibular pain was assessed with the new algometer and the already known vulvalgesiometer during two different sessions 2 to 4 weeks apart. At each session, the pressure pain threshold (PPT) and pressure pain tolerance (PPTol) were measured twice at the 3, 6, and 9 o'clock sites of the vestibule in random order. The test-retest reliability (intra- and inter-session) of the algometer was calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM). Its convergent validity was evaluated by the correlation coefficients between PPTs and PPTols measured by the algometer and those measured with the vulvalgesiometer.
  
  
  
  Intra-session reliability at all three sites for PPTs and PPTols in both sessions was excellent (ICC = 0.859 to 0.988, P ≤ 0.002). Inter-session reliability was good to excellent (ICC = 0.683 to 0.922, SEM = 15.06 to 47.04 g, P ≤ 0.001). Significant correlations were found between the two tools for all sites for PPTs (r = 0.500 to 0.614, P ≤ 0.009) and PPTols (r = 0.809 to 0.842, P < 0.001).
  
  
  
  Findings showed that the algometer is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring PPTs and PPTols in the vestibular area in women with PVD. This technology is promising for pinpointing treatment mechanisms and efficacy.
authors.affiliation: *School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke and Research Center of the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Marie-Pierre
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Cyr
authors.affiliation: School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Institute of Rehabilitation Gingras-Lindsay of Montreal affiliated to the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR), Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bourbonnais
authors.affiliation: *School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke and Research Center of the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pinard
authors.affiliation: *School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke and Research Center of the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dubois
authors.affiliation: *School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke and Research Center of the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada Melanie.M.Morin@usherbrooke.ca.
authors.forename: Mélanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morin
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation; D011312:Pressure; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D056650:Vulvodynia / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: Algometer; Pressure Pain Threshold; Provoked Vestibulodynia; Quantitative Sensory Testing; Vulvalgesiometer