Age-, gender- and body site-specific reference values of thermal Quantitative Sensory Testing in the Italian population using the Q-sense device.

Publisher: Springer-Verlag Italia Country of Publication: Italy NLM ID: 100959175 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1590-3478 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 15901874 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Neurol Sci Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Milano, Italy : Springer-Verlag Italia, c2000-

Pain Threshold* ; Pain*; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Sensory Thresholds/physiology ; Reference Values ; Pain Measurement/methods

Background: Age-, gender- and body site-specific values of thermal Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) measures have not yet been reported using the novel and cheap device 'Q-sense'. Here, we aimed to assess normative values of Q-sense-derived parameters in a representative Italian population.
Methods: QST parameters were measured in 84 healthy participants (42 males; aged 20-76 years) equally distributed into three age groups (18-39, 40-59 and 60-80 years). We explored the Warm and the Cold Detection Thresholds (WDT and CDT, respectively) with the method of limits (MLI) and the method of levels (MLE), and the Heat Pain Threshold (HPT) with the MLI. We tested the trigeminal supraorbital region, the hand thenar, and the foot dorsum on the right body side.
Results: We calculated non-parametric reference limits (2.5-97.5 ^th ) according to age, gender and tested site. All QST measures were affected by age, gender and tested site. In the extra-trigeminal body sites, females showed lower WDT and higher CDT, while males had higher HPT. Worse sensory discriminative abilities and increased HPT values were found in people aged over 40 on the foot. Age-related differences were more evident with the reaction time-dependent MLI vs. MLE paradigm.
Conclusions: Demographic characteristics must be considered when QST is used in the clinical setting. The definition of reference limits for sensory testing with the Q-sense herein provided can pave the way towards a more widespread use of thermal QST for diagnosing small fiber neuropathy and for identifying patients' profiles in different chronic pain syndromes.
(© 2023. The Author(s).)

J Pain. 2009 Jun;10(6):556-72. (PMID: 19380256)
Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2015;227:79-102. (PMID: 25846615)
Eur J Pain. 2019 Nov;23(10):1863-1878. (PMID: 31359547)
Pain. 1998 Feb;74(2-3):181-7. (PMID: 9520232)
J Diabetes Complications. 1995 Jul-Sep;9(3):170-6. (PMID: 7548981)
Pain. 2010 Dec;151(3):598-605. (PMID: 20965658)
Somatosens Mot Res. 1999;16(1):57-62. (PMID: 10355884)
Pain. 1991 Mar;44(3):255-262. (PMID: 2052394)
J Neurol Sci. 1981 Jul;51(1):11-27. (PMID: 7252516)
Pain. 2005 Nov;118(1-2):194-200. (PMID: 16202529)
J Clin Neurosci. 2015 Mar;22(3):588-91. (PMID: 25624058)
Pain. 2010 Sep;150(3):439-450. (PMID: 20627413)
Clin Neurophysiol. 2003 Mar;114(3):556-63. (PMID: 12705436)
J Neurol Sci. 1994 Aug;125(1):39-45. (PMID: 7964887)
Clin J Pain. 2009 Sep;25(7):641-7. (PMID: 19692807)
Somatosens Mot Res. 2002;19(1):61-75. (PMID: 11962648)
Pain. 2013 Sep;154(9):1807-1819. (PMID: 23742795)
Pain. 2006 Aug;123(3):231-243. (PMID: 16697110)
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1985 Apr;48(4):354-60. (PMID: 3998741)
J Pain. 2007 Apr;8(4):363-9. (PMID: 17275416)
Clin J Pain. 2006 Feb;22(2):130-6. (PMID: 16428946)
J Orofac Pain. 2011 Spring;25(2):161-9. (PMID: 21528123)
Muscle Nerve. 2001 Sep;24(9):1134-41. (PMID: 11494265)
J Oral Rehabil. 2013 Nov;40(11):844-53. (PMID: 23980926)
Somatosens Mot Res. 2014 Jun;31(2):62-71. (PMID: 24397569)
Pain. 2014 May;155(5):1002-1015. (PMID: 24525274)

Keywords: Age and sex differences; Cold detection threshold; Heat pain threshold; Quantitative sensory testing; Sensory thresholds; Warm detection threshold

Date Created: 20230714 Date Completed: 20231114 Latest Revision: 20231115

20231215

PMC10641050

10.1007/s10072-023-06929-z

37450073