Cuff pressure algometry on LabBench, Version 6.0

Stimulus Response

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Stimulus-response procedures determine the psychophysical rating (VAS Rating) to a linearly increasing pressure stimulus. From this stimulus-response curve, several psychophysical parameters can be determined:

PDT: The Pain Detection Threshold,
PTL: The Pain Tolerance Limit, and
PTT: The Pain Tolerance Threshold (PTT).

The determined parameters depend on the procedure configuration and the subject’s instructions.

The procedure window for the <algometry-stimulus-response> procedure is shown in Figure 1. The procedure window consists of two areas: applied pressure and recorded responses. The purpose of the test is to determine Pain Detection Thresholds (PDT), Pain Tolerance Thresholds (PTT), and Pain Tolerance Limit (PTL) to cuff pressure.

Temporal Summation

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The temporal summation procedure applies a series of rectangular pressure stimuli to one or both cuffs. The participant is asked to rate the pain sensation of these stimuli on the VAS meter as soon as possible after the cessation of a pressure stimulus. The VAS rating for a stimulus is recorded just before the next stimulus is given or would have been given if it had not been the last stimulus in the series.

Arbitrary Temporal Summation

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The arbitrary temporal summation procedure applies a series of rectangular pressure stimuli to one or both cuffs.

The participant is asked to rate the pain sensation of these stimuli on the VAS meter as soon as possible after the cessation of a pressure stimulus.

The VAS rating for a stimulus is recorded just before the next stimulus is given or would have been given if it had not been the last stimulus in the series. The arbitrary temporal summation procedure makes it possible to specify each stimulus in the series individually, and thus, each stimulus can have a different intensity and duration.

Static Temporal Summation

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The static temporal summation applies a constant pressure for a specified duration instead of a series of stimuli to determine the temporal summation of pressure stimulation.

During this pressure stimulation and for a period after the procedure, the participant’s VAS score will be recorded as the result of the procedure.

The procedure window for the <algometry-static-temporal-summation> procedure is shown in Figure 1. The procedure window consists of two areas: applied pressure and recorded responses.

Conditioned Pain Modulation

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

With the conditioned pain modulation procedure, one cuff applies static pressure while the other determines a stimulus-response curve. The stimulus-response curve determines the psychophysical rating (VAS Rating) to a linearly increasing pressure stimulus.

From this stimulus-response curve, several psychophysical parameters can be determined:

Pain Detection Threshold (PDT),
Pain Tolerance Limit (PTL),
Pain Tolerance Threshold (PTT).

The determined parameters depend on the procedure configuration and the participant’s instructions.

The procedure window for the <algometry-conditioned-pain-modulation> procedure is shown in Figure 1. The procedure window consists of two areas: applied pressure and recorded responses.

Stimulus Rating

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The stimulus rating procedure provides a way to determine the Pain Detection Threshold (PDT), the Pain Tolerance Threshold (PTT), or both with an attached button.

The procedure is executed in the same way as the stimulus-response procedure and is defined by the same parameters, with the exception that it does not have a stop-mode parameter but instead has a measurement parameter.

The procedure window for the <algometry-stimulus-rating> procedure is shown in Figure 1. The procedure window consists of two areas: applied pressure and recorded responses.

Conditioned Pain Modulation Rating

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The conditioned pain modulation rating procedure is analogous to the conditioned pain modulation procedure that uses a button instead of the VAS to determine pain detection threshold (PDT), pain tolerance threshold (PTT), or both.

The same parameters define the procedure as the conditioned pain modulation procedure, with the addition of the measurement parameter that defines how the button is used to determine PDT, PTT, or both.

The procedure window for the <algometry-conditioned-pain-modulation-rating> procedure is shown in Figure 1. The procedure window consists of two areas: applied pressure and recorded responses.