Quantitative assessment of cutaneous thermal and vibration sensation and thermal pain detection thresholds in healthy children and adolescents

Quantitative sensory testing (QST) is a noninvasive, computer-assisted meth od for assessing function in peripheral small and large sensory fibers. In order to use QST for clinical neurological assessment in children, it is ne cessary: (1) to determine whether children can reliably perform these tests and (2) to characterize normal ranges in healthy children. Values of cold sensation, warm sensation, cold pain, heat pain, and vibration sensation de tection thresholds were determined in the hand and foot with the method of limits (MLI) and method of levels (MLE) in 101 healthy children aged 6-17 y ears using a commercially available device. Both MLI and MLE were well-acce pted by children, and there was good reproducibility between two sessions. The MLE takes longer to perform but produces lower thermal detection thresh olds than the MLI In the MLI, vibration and warm sensation showed higher th resholds in the foot than hand, whereas cold pain showed lower thresholds i n the foot than hand. Based on these results, QST may be used to document a nd monitor the clinical course of sensory abnormalities in children with ne urological disorders or neuropathic pain. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.