Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) - Does assessing ... - TI Pharma

1. General introduction
dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum occur in chronic pain (Apkarian
et al 2011; DaSilva et al 2008; Geha et al 2008; Gustin et al 2011; Schweinhardt &
Bushnell 2010; Tracey 2007; 2008; Tracey & Bushnell 2009; Tracey et al 2002). Precise
phenotypic characterisation and imaging may be used to set objective criteria with
which to measure disease and evaluate its treatment. QST phenotypic characterisation
aiming to select patients for enrolment into clinical trials might decrease variance and
increase the power to detect meaningful drug effects.
Objectives of this thesis are to investigate:
1. Implications of QST for clinical neuropathic pain practice:
a. Are there differences in the diagnostic outcome of sensory signs in
patients with neuropathic pain assessed by QST and bedside tests? (chapter 2)
b. Does a greater level of certainty whether a pain condition is neuropathic
reflect an increase in numbers of sensory abnormalities or/and specific
patterns of sensory signs? (chapter 3)
2. Implications of QST for clinical neuropathic pain research:
a. Is QST valid to be used as a tool to identify somatosensory homogenous
groups of patients with neuropathic pain? (chapter 4)
3. Implications of QST in non-neuropathic pain diseases:
a. Is QST sensitive to identify pain-contributing somatosensory changes in
patients with patellar tendinopathies? (chapter 5)
To address these objectives, a large QST database including healthy volunteers and
patients with neuropathic pain was established. QST data from neuropathic pain patients
were compared to those obtained from healthy controls with the aim to gain insight into
the presence of abnormal somatosensory function in neuropathic pain patients.