• Jan Rosner, Paulina Simonne Scheuren, Stephanie Anja Stalder, Armin Curt, and Michèle Hubli.
• Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
• Pain Med. 2020 Apr 1; 21 (4): 736-746.

ObjectivePinprick evoked potentials (PEPs) represent a novel tool to assess the functional integrity of mechano-nociceptive pathways with a potential toward objectifying sensory deficits and gain seen in neurological disorders. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility and reliability of PEPs with respect to age, stimulation site, and skin type.MethodsElectroencephalographic responses evoked by two pinprick stimulation intensities (128 mN and 256 mN) applied at three sites (hand dorsum, palmar digit II, and foot dorsum) were recorded in 30 healthy individuals. Test-retest reliability was performed for the vertex negative-positive complex amplitudes, N-latencies, and pain ratings evoked by the 256mN stimulation intensity.ResultsFeasibility of PEP acquisition was demonstrated across age groups, with higher proportions of evoked potentials (>85%) for the 256mN stimulation intensity. Reliability analyses, that is, Bland-Altman and intraclass correlation coefficients, revealed poor to excellent reliability upon retest depending on the stimulation sites.ConclusionsThis study highlights the reliability of PEP acquisition from cervical and lumbar segments across clinically representative age groups. Future methodological improvements might further strengthen PEP reliability in order to complement clinical neurophysiology of sensory nerve fibers by a more specific assessment of mechano-nociceptive pathways. Beyond looking at sensory deficits, PEPs may also become applicable to revealing signs of central sensitization, complementing the clinical assessment of mechanical hyperalgesia.© 2019 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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