Validation of a Brazilian quantitative sensory testing (QST) device for the diagnosis of small fiber neuropathies

• Autor(a) principal: Schestatsky,Pedro
• Data de Publicação: 2011
• Outros Autores: Stefani,Luciana Cadore, Sanches,Paulo Roberto, Silva Júnior,Danton Pereira da, Torres,Iraci Lucena Silva, Dall-Agnol,Letizzia, Balbinot,Luciane Fachin, Caumo,Wolnei
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2011000700019
• topic: quantitative sensory testing; validation; nociceptive pathway; psychophysics; heat pain stimulation

Quantitative sensory testing (QST) is defined as the determination of thresholds for sensory perception under controlled stimulus. Our aim was to validate a new QST device for Brazilian sample. In 20 healthy adults, thermoalgesic thresholds were assessed using a QST prototype (Heat Pain Stimulator-1.1.10; Brazil). A 30 × 30 mm² thermode with a 1°C/s stimulus change rate were applied. Thresholds of three consecutive stimuli were averaged in two different sessions separated by at least two weeks. Additionally long thermal heat pain stimulus was performed. To evaluate the consistency of our method we also analyzed 11 patients with small fiber neuropathy. Results showed good reproducibility of thermal perception thresholds in normal individuals and plausible abnormal thresholds in patients. We conclude that our QST device is reliable when analyzing the nociceptive pathway in controls and patients.