Test-retest reliability of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex and electrical pain thresholds after single and repeated stimulation in patients with chronic low back pain

Biurrun Manresa, José A; Neziri, Alban Y; Curatolo, Michele; Arendt-Nielsen, Lars; Andersen, Ole K (2011). Test-retest reliability of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex and electrical pain thresholds after single and repeated stimulation in patients with chronic low back pain. European journal of applied physiology, 111(1), pp. 83-92. Heidelberg: Springer 10.1007/s00421-010-1634-0

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Recent studies have shown that the nociceptive withdrawal reflex threshold (NWR-T) and the electrical pain threshold (EP-T) are reliable measures in pain-free populations. However, it is necessary to investigate the reliability of these measures in patients with chronic pain in order to translate these techniques from laboratory to clinic. The aims of this study were to determine the test-retest reliability of the NWR-T and EP-T after single and repeated (temporal summation) electrical stimulation in a group of patients with chronic low back pain, and to investigate the association between the NWR-T and the EP-T. To this end, 25 patients with chronic pain participated in three identical sessions, separated by 1 week in average, in which the NWR-T and the EP-T to single and repeated stimulation were measured. Test-retest reliability was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), coefficient of variation (CV), and Bland-Altman analysis. The association between the thresholds was assessed using the coefficient of determination (r (2)). The results showed good-to-excellent reliability for both NWR-T and EP-T in all cases, with average ICC values ranging 0.76-0.90 and average CV values ranging 12.0-17.7%. The association between thresholds was better after repeated stimulation than after single stimulation, with average r (2) values of 0.83 and 0.56, respectively. In conclusion, the NWR-T and the EP-T are reliable assessment tools for assessing the sensitivity of spinal nociceptive pathways in patients with chronic pain.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Intensive Care, Emergency Medicine and Anaesthesiology (DINA) > Clinic and Policlinic for Anaesthesiology and Pain Therapy

UniBE Contributor:

Neziri, Alban Y., Curatolo, Michele

ISSN:

1439-6319

Publisher:

Springer

Language:

English

Submitter:

Jeannie Wurz

Date Deposited:

04 Oct 2013 14:08

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:00

Publisher DOI:

10.1007/s00421-010-1634-0

PubMed ID:

20814801

Web of Science ID:

000285786800010

BORIS DOI:

10.48350/535

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/535 (FactScience: 199707)

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