Heat pain threshold and tolerance do not depend on thermode type or stimulus duration

• DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/f6ac2
• Publication Date: 2024-08-21T23:12:49Z
• Authors: Julie Parsons; Maya Joshi Delity; Jama Brookes; Titilola Akintola; Troy Dildine; Hayley Owens; Sabrina Barhoum; Julio Alejandro Y...; Lauren Yvette Atlas
• Keywords: Stimulus (psychology); Pain tolerance

Introduction: Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) allows researchers and clinicians to evaluate variations in acute pain thermosensation within across individuals. With a variety of QST approaches available, it is important whether the modality used for induction affects conclusions drawn from QST. We compared two types thermodes (an Advanced Thermal Stimulator (ATS) Contact Heat-Evoked Potential (CHEPS)) at stimulus durations (8s 3s, respectively) assess potential differences outcomes.Methods: Healthy volunteers (n = 45) underwent adaptive staircase calibrations during same visit, with order thermode counterbalanced participants. Heat was applied 8 sites on left volar forearm, 24 trials per thermode.Results: There were no between threshold, tolerance, or correlations temperature ratings after removing outlier (R2, all p’s > 0.05). When included, we did observe significant difference temperature- (p .019), driven by higher R2 values 8s ATS stimuli relative 3s CHEPS stimuli. also observed interactions sex both measures (p’s < 0.05), such that there impact temperature-pain female participants while males had lower ATS.Conclusions: These findings indicate threshold tolerance are comparable regardless size duration, whereas strength association may be reduced brief administered via CHEPS, particularly male