Reliability of orofacial quantitative sensory testing for pleasantness and unpleasantnessShow others and affiliations
2020 (English)In: Cephalalgia, ISSN 0333-1024, E-ISSN 1468-2982, Vol. 40, no 11, p. 1191-1201Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Background Quantitative sensory testing protocols for perceptions of pleasantness and unpleasantness based on the German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain protocol were recently introduced. However, there are no reliability studies yet published. Aim To evaluate the intra-examiner (test-retest) and inter-examiner reliability for orofacial pleasantness and unpleasantness quantitative sensory testing protocols. Methods Sixteen healthy participants from Aarhus University (11 women and five men, mean age 24, range 21-26 years) contributed. Two examiners were trained in performing the entire quantitative sensory testing protocols for pleasantness and unpleasantness, which included the additional dynamic tactile stimulation test using a goat-hair brush. Each participant underwent examination of both protocols by each examiner (inter-examiner reliability) on day 1. They returned at least 8 days following the testing to be re-examined by one examiner (intra-examiner reliability). All testing was performed on the skin of the right mandibular mental region. The intraclass correlation (ICC) was used to determine reliability. Results For the protocol investigating pleasantness, the majority of parameters had good to excellent intra-examiner (11/14: Intraclass correlation 0.67-0.87) and inter-examiner (13/14: Intraclass correlation 0.62-0.96) reliabilities. Similarly, the protocol investigating unpleasantness had good to excellent intra-examiner (intraclass correlation 0.63-0.99) and inter-examiner (intraclass correlation 0.65-0.98) reliabilities for most (13/15) of the parameters. Conclusion Intra and inter-examiner reliabilities in the majority of quantitative sensory testing parameters (apart from the summation ratio) investigating pleasantness and unpleasantness are acceptable when assessing somatosensory function of the orofacial region.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD , 2020. Vol. 40, no 11, p. 1191-1201
Keywords [en]
Somatosensation; facial pain; orofacial; trigeminal nerve
National Category
Neurology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-166915DOI: 10.1177/0333102420929700ISI: 000537792000001PubMedID: 32486910OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-166915DiVA, id: diva2:1445088
Note
Funding Agencies|Aarhus University Research Foundation; Danish Dental Association
2020-06-222020-06-222021-04-13