Somatosensory & motor research
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Pressure evoked temporal summation of pain has been described with slow repetitions (<0.5 Hz) relative to what is recommended originally for assessing temporal pain summation (>1 Hz). This study examined temporal summation of pain by repeated computer-controlled pressure stimulation at high repetition rates with and without simultaneous active probe rotations for potential better efficiency. ⋯ An optimum of 500 ms repeated pressure stimulation at 1 Hz produced the most apparent temporal summation of pain sensation which further was enhanced during probe rotation. These findings suggest an optimized and novel method to improve the current procedures for assessing temporal summation of pressure-induced pain.
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Chronic lower back pain (CLBP) is a significant public health problem in the USA. The complexity of CLBP necessitates an assessment tool that can objectively evaluate the aspects of CLBP that lead to disability. Here we present a novel means by which to provide pressure stimuli to the lumbar spine through the use of an electro-pneumatic circuit that can be used in conjunction with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology to assess the cortical activity changes associated with CLBP. ⋯ This project has successfully developed a device that can deliver a reliable and reproducible stimulus over the lumbar spine that mimics the palpatory technique used in clinical practice, and can be used in conjunction with fMRI to assess cortical response.