Measurement reliability of current perception threshold and pain threshold in parallel with blood sampling

Abstract

The irritation and pain associated with oral blood sampling necessary to monitor glycemic control can alter oral sensation, but no studies have measured the reliability of oral sensation testing when performed concurrently with blood sampling. The primary and secondary aims of this study were to verify the measurement reliability of current perception threshold (CPT) and pain threshold (PT) tests performed before and after blood sampling and to investigate the differences in CPTs/PTs obtained from the oral cavity, hand, and foot, respectively. CPT/PT measurements were obtained from the oral mucosa and the tips of fingers and toes of 18 volunteers (10 males and 8 females, average age = 26.3 years) using electrical stimulation at frequencies of 5, 250, and 2,000 Hz. Participants also provided blood samples by pricking their own index fingers with a small needle. All subjects completed the following 3 conditions at once‐weekly intervals as follows: (a) sensory measurements followed by blood sampling (SB block); (b) blood sampling followed by sensory measurements (BS block); (c) sensory measurements without blood sampling (CO control block). Cronbach's α coefficients were over 0.78 for the SB, BS, and CO blocks, and are considered to be acceptable for assuring measurement reliability. The oral cavity had significantly lower CPT/PTs than both hands and feet, such that the threshold increased in the order oral cavity < hand < foot. CPT and PT measurements performed concurrently with blood sampling are both reliable and region specific, and for which the oral cavity is the most sensitive testing region.

Verification of the reliability of current perception threshold and pain threshold testing by application of an electrical current stimulus to mandibular mucosa in young adults

“…A single trained operator, who worked as an assistant for three years during previous trials, verbally explained the measurement process to each participant and exposed the participant to each of the three frequencies used to assess CPT prior to the actual CPT measurement. The actual test was conducted according to manufacturer's instructions: the electrical current was gradually increased from 0.01 mA until the subjects reported sensation for a given frequency.…”

Differences in pain thresholds elicited by intraoral electrical stimuli between individuals with and without diabetes mellitus

“…Pain threshold was measured using the modified method described previously . In brief, participants were seated comfortably in a dental chair in a quiet room during testing.…”

Quantitative and Fiber-Selective Evaluation for Central Poststroke Pain

“…Sensory processing is the precise integration that requires a balanced interaction between the primary afferent fibers, the spinal cord, the brainstem, and the thalamocortical circuits [ 3 ]. Therefore, quantifying the neuroexcitatory effects of sensory fibers using the current perception threshold (CPT) may make possible the exploration of the nonnociceptive pathways (the large A δ fibers in the periphery) and the nociceptive transmission system (fibers A δ and C in the periphery of the spinothalamic tract system at the central level) [ 5 , 6 , 9 , 10 ]. The ability to use reproducible stimuli to estimate sensory thresholds and differentiate symptoms (hyperesthesia and hypoesthesia) may also enhance the technology to make it a powerful method of investigating somatosensory disturbances of various modalities [ 2 , 11 ].…”