Assessment of experimental orofacial pain, pleasantness and unpleasantness via standardized psychophysical testing
Corresponding Author
Pankaj Taneja
Section of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Scandinavian Centre for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON), Aarhus, Denmark
Correspondence
Pankaj Taneja, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Section of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Aarhus University, Denmark.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorHåkan Olausson
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
Search for more papers by this authorMats Trulsson
Scandinavian Centre for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON), Aarhus, Denmark
Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden
Search for more papers by this authorLene Vase
Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorPeter Svensson
Section of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Scandinavian Centre for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON), Aarhus, Denmark
Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden
Search for more papers by this authorLene Baad-Hansen
Section of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Scandinavian Centre for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON), Aarhus, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Pankaj Taneja
Section of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Scandinavian Centre for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON), Aarhus, Denmark
Correspondence
Pankaj Taneja, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Section of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Aarhus University, Denmark.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorHåkan Olausson
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
Search for more papers by this authorMats Trulsson
Scandinavian Centre for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON), Aarhus, Denmark
Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden
Search for more papers by this authorLene Vase
Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorPeter Svensson
Section of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Scandinavian Centre for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON), Aarhus, Denmark
Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden
Search for more papers by this authorLene Baad-Hansen
Section of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Scandinavian Centre for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON), Aarhus, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorFunding information
The study is financially supported by Aarhus University Research Foundation.
Abstract
Background
Somatosensory assessment within the orofacial region may be performed using highly standardized quantitative sensory testing (QST). However, the function of the C-tactile (CT) afferent, a nerve fibre linked to the perception of pleasant touch, is usually not evaluated. Furthermore, the perception of unpleasantness is also rarely assessed, a dimension not only limited to a painful experience. Therefore, the primary aim was to apply standardized QST stimuli as well as standardized pleasant stimuli and evaluate their potential capacity for evocation of perceived pain, pleasant and unpleasant sensations in the facial region.
Methods
Twenty-one female participants underwent QST as per the protocol derived from the German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain. For the first time, two modified protocols were used to investigate stimuli for perceived pleasantness and unpleasantness.
Results
Thermal stimuli provided separate thresholds for each sensation. From certain mechanical stimuli (e.g., vibration), overlap between the perceived sensations of pleasantness and unpleasantness was identified. It was not possible to evoke only an unpleasant sensation without a painful contribution, and both these sensations increased significantly when utilizing an increasing pinprick force (p < 0.011). Between dynamic stimuli, the brush was rated as significantly more pleasant than the cotton wool tip (p = 0.015). A quadratic model provided the best fit for velocity against mean pleasantness ratings (R2 = 0.62 ± 0.08), supporting previous CT afferent literature to some extent.
Conclusion
Stimuli were generally not isolated to one sensation, highlighting the multidimensional construct of stimulus perception and the need for scales to capture this.
Significance
The battery of QST tests from the DFNS protocol has been modified to investigate pleasant and unpleasant sensations. This allows the evaluation of psychophysical properties across standardized dimensions to provide a thorough view of somatosensory function and to better understand the affective spectrum of somatosensory function.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
None declared.
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