Objective: Research on the role of acute post-surgical pain in children is extremely important in order to have a positive influence on pre-surgical preparation and post-surgical care and to prevent pain from becoming chronic, which can extend decades into adulthood. This project aims to identify predictors of acute post-surgical pain in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis undergoing spinal fusion by utilizing sensory thresholds obtained through quantitative sensory testing (QST). Methods: Eligible candidates were Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) patients ages 10-17 who have been recommended to receive elected spinal fusion surgery at Boston Children's Hospital (BCH). 9 successfully recruited and enrolled participants underwent a full series of QST tests on their palmar thenar eminence (non-surgical site), and their lower back (surgical site). Patients' Light Touch Detection Threshold (LTDT) and Pain Detection Threshold (PDT) scores were determined using Von Frey Hairs. Patients' Pressure-Pain Sensation Threshold (PPST) scores were determined using a pressure algometer. Patients' Warm/Cool and Hot/Cold Pain Detection Thresholds were detected using a calibrated thermode strapped to the skin. Following the full-series of QST tests, and after the patient was discharged from the hospital, a retrospective chart review was conducted to determine the patients': Age at Surgery, Gender, Number of Vertebrae Fused (Fusion Length), Length of Surgery, Pre-Operative Self-Identified Pain Level (NRS 0-10), Average Post-Operative Acute-Phase Self-Identified Pain Level (NRS 0-10), and daily Pain Medication Doses (Opiate Vs. Non-Opiate Vs. Total). Correlation calculations were done between each variable, including those determined through QST as well as retrospective chart review. For every QST test, each patient's individual score was compared to the cohort's median score, which helped determine whether the patient was either hyper- or hyposensitive for that particular test. For each QST test, these hyper- and hyposensitive groups were then compared to see if there were any significant differences in post-operative pain experienced. Results: Due to the low number of participants (N = 9), the results should be considered preliminary. Correlation studies demonstrate that pre-operative pain was significantly positively correlated with post-operative pain (r = 0.81, p <0.05), indicating that patients who are pre-operatively already in pain, will consequently experience the most pain post-operatively. Additionally, fusion length had a strong positive correlation to acute post-operative opiate pain medication administration (r = 0.71, P < 0.05), indicating that patients who had more vertebrae fused were given more opiates. Through the use of QST, we discovered that patients hypersensitive in the LTDT-Spine QST test experienced significantly less pain post-operatively (3.22 NRS 0-10) than that experienced by hyposensitive patients (5.52 NRS 0-10) from the same test. Identical results were discovered in patients determined hyper- and hyposensitive using the PPST-Spine test, respectively. Retrospective chart review data show that these hyposensitive patients were experiencing greater pain pre-operatively (0.75 NRS 0-10) than that experienced by the hypersensitive patients (0 NRS 0-10), which may have contributed to the hyposensitive cohort's greater post-operative pain. Although insignificant, patients hypersensitive in the Hot Pain - Spine QST test experienced greater post-operative pain (4.72 NRS 0-10) than that experienced by hyposensitive patients in the same test (4.06 NRS 0-10). Conclusions: The goal of this study was to determine a substantiated hypothesis to test in the future, using larger pediatric cohorts. Even though it initially appears that the hyposensitive patients, as determined by the LTDT-Spine and PPST-Spine QST tests, experienced greater post-operative pain, one must consider the fact that this hyposensitive group experienced a significantly greater amount of pre-operative pain. Not only has pre-operative pain been proven to have a strong correlation to post-operative pain in this study, it has also been proven in other larger studies as well. Other studies have identified a test similar to the Hot Pain - Spine QST test as a potential predictor of post-operative pain. The present study's results, although insignificant, share the same conclusion that hypersensitive patients determined through Hot Pain - Spine QST test experience greater post-operative pain. Therefore, the hypothesis to test in the future in pediatric cohorts should read: AIS patients with no pre-operative pain who demonstrate increased sensitivity to hot pain on their surgical site via thermal stimulation (QST) will experience greater post-operative pain in the acute-recovery phase.

Introdução: apesar de depressão e dor serem altamente prevalentes em pacientes com Doença de Parkinson (DP), há poucos estudos sobre a relação entre esses fatores, apesar da já bem descrita potencial modulação da dor por estados emocionais. Objetivo: avaliar a percepção termoalgésica de calor e dor em método quantitativo e correlacioná-la com sintomas psiquiátricos e da Doença de Parkinson. Método: realizamos um estudo transversal avaliando características clínicas e dados psicofísicos em 31 pacientes com DP sob efeito da medicação dopaminérgica (estado “on”). Verificamos as características da DP utilizando a escala Hoehn and Yahr, realizamos uma avaliação psiquiátrica usando as escalas Inventário de Depressão de Beck (Inventário de Depressão de Beck - IDB), Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) de acordo com os critérios do DSM IV, e Mini Mental State Evaluation (MMSE), avaliamos queixas de dor nos últimos 90 dias usando uma escala visual analógica para dor (EVA – Escala Visual Analógica) e medimos a percepção termoalgésica através do Teste Quantitativo Sensitivo (TQS) para percepção de calor e de dor. Resultados: 31 pacientes foram avaliados. Surpreendentemente, não houve associação entre a percepção termoalgésica e as queixas de dor ou sintomas da DP. Entretanto, houve uma correlação moderada mas significativa entre sintomas depressivos medidos pela BDI e os limiares de calor e de dor (r=0.54 para calor p<0.05 e r=0.47 p<0.05 para dor). Pacientes com sintomas depressivos significativos tiveram limiares de calor e de dor maiores comparados aos sem sintomas depressivos. Esse achado se manteve após correção estatística para severidade dos sintomas da DP. Conclusão: processamento termoalgésico em pacientes com DP é mais influenciado por depressão do que pela severidade da Doença de Parkinson ou pelo nível da dor em si. Essa informação tem implicações importantes para o diagnóstico e abordagem terapêutica para pacientes com DP e dor e/ou depressão. Por exemplo, a depressão poderia ser mais sistematicamente rastreada e tratada em pacientes com DP com processamento de dor alterado. / Introduction: Although depression and pain are highly prevalent in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients, there is a lack of studies in their relationship, even though it is well-known that pain is potentially modulated by emotional state. Aims: To assess warm and heat pain perception in a quantitative method and correlate it with psychiatric and parkinsonian symptoms. Methods: We carried out a transversal study assessing clinical and psychophysical data in 31 patients with PD during the effect of dopaminergic medication (on state). We assessed the clinical characteristics of Parkinson's using Hoehn and Yahr (HY), performed a psychiatric evaluation using Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) according to the DSM IV criteria and Mini Mental State Evaluation (MMSE), evaluated pain complaints in the last 90 days using a visual analogue scale for pain (VAS) and measured pain perception by means of quantitative sensory testing (QST) for warm and heat pain perception. Results: 31 patients were evaluated. Surprisingly, there was no association between thermoalgesic perception with pain complaints or parkinsonian symptoms. However, there was a moderate but significant correlation between depressive symptoms measured by BDI and warm sensation and heat pain thresholds(r=0.54 for warm p<0.05 and r=0.47 p<0.05 for heat pain). Patients with significant depressive symptoms had higher warm and heat pain thresholds compared to those without depression. This finding was maintained after statistical correction for the PD symptoms severity. Conclusion: Thermoalgesic processing in PD patients is more influenced by depression than by PD severity or level of pain itself. This information has important implications for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for patients with PD and pain and/or depression. For instance, depression might be more systematically screened and treated in PD patients with altered pain processing.

<p>Skin temperature is detected through signals in unmyelinated C-fibers and thin myelinated Aδ-fibers in the peripheral and central nervous system. Disorders in thin nerve fibres are important and not rare but difficult to diagnose by the most common neurophysiological methods. In this pilot study different methods for quantitative sensory testing, QST, were compared to give some ideas about which method could be the most efficient to use in order to point out injuries of the sensory system in clinical practice. The comparison was made between Békésy (separate warmand cold thresholds) and Marstock test (combined warm and cold thresholds). The study also included the test persons estimations of the difficulty to perform the tests.</p><p>The study showed that there was no practical difference between the tests and that the test persons estimations did not show any indications that the methods differed in rating of difficulty. Our study did not give reason to stop measuring warm and cold detection thresholds separately, which is the international standard and have some theoretical advantages. We also compared detection thresholds for hand and foot, warmth and cold and for both slow and fast temperature changes to enlighten factors that could affect our measuring data.</p>

Generalised polyneuropathy (PNP) is a common cause to neurological impairment, and may be an early symptom of a severe systemic disease. One such illness is hereditary transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis (ATTR), a progressive fatal disorder caused by a mutation on the TTR gene. More than 100 such mutations have been found worldwide, of which Val30Met is the most common neuropathic variant with initial clinical manifestations indicating small fiber impairment. Differences in onset age, penetrance and phenotypes are present between endemic areas. Liver transplantation generally slows the progress of the symptom development, especially in patients with short disease duration. Ongoing research has also shown promising results with drug interventions. In any event, early diagnosis of PNP onset in ATTR patients is crucial to ensure early therapeutic interventions. Nerve conduction studies (NCS) and electromyography (EMG) provide the basis for evaluation of the functional state of the thick myelinated nerve fibres in patients with symptoms of PNP, but no such quantitative methods are available for the thin myelinated or unmyelinated fibers. Instead, a psychophysical method with thermal quantitative sensory testing (QST) can provide indirect information about the overall function in the afferent small fiber systems. The purpose of thesis was to evaluate the applicability of QST by the Method-of-limits (MLI) for early detection of PNP in Swedish ATTR patients with the Val30Met mutation. In healthy subjects the repeatability of the MLI was assessed, and reference values for thermal perception thresholds (TPT) in several body regions were determined. No significant differences in TPT or pain thresholds were found at repeated testing with MLI, indicating that the MLI is a reliable method. However, the results show that the arrangement of the testing order is of importance, as cold (CT) and warm (WT) perception thresholds were significantly elevated when tested after thermal pain assessments, instead of before. I general, the TPT was more elevated at lower parts of the body compared to the upper part, and with higher WT than CT, fully in accordance with the underlying anatomical and physiological prerequisites for QST. In biopsy verified ATTR patients lacking EMG and NCS abnormalities, significantly elevated TPT were found compared to controls. Furthermore, significantly more increased TPT were observed in patients with an early onset of the disease, compared those with a late onset. Finally, a combined detailed evaluation of QST and heart rate variability (HRV) analyses demonstrated correlations between QST and HRV abnormalities in patients with late onset, but not in those with early onset. The present thesis emphasizes the importance of incorporating QST early in the clinical evaluation of ATTR patients with a Val30Met mutation and with symptoms of thin fiber PNP. This is particularly indicated when patients report symptoms, or show signs, of neuropathic small fiber affection, but simultaneously exhibit normal EMG and NCS findings. The results furthermore underline the importance of performing both QST and HRV for a complete evaluation of both the thin somatic and autonomic nerve fibers, as both types of nerves may be affected early in the ATTR disease.

Introdução: apesar de depressão e dor serem altamente prevalentes em pacientes com Doença de Parkinson (DP), há poucos estudos sobre a relação entre esses fatores, apesar da já bem descrita potencial modulação da dor por estados emocionais. Objetivo: avaliar a percepção termoalgésica de calor e dor em método quantitativo e correlacioná-la com sintomas psiquiátricos e da Doença de Parkinson. Método: realizamos um estudo transversal avaliando características clínicas e dados psicofísicos em 31 pacientes com DP sob efeito da medicação dopaminérgica (estado “on”). Verificamos as características da DP utilizando a escala Hoehn and Yahr, realizamos uma avaliação psiquiátrica usando as escalas Inventário de Depressão de Beck (Inventário de Depressão de Beck - IDB), Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) de acordo com os critérios do DSM IV, e Mini Mental State Evaluation (MMSE), avaliamos queixas de dor nos últimos 90 dias usando uma escala visual analógica para dor (EVA – Escala Visual Analógica) e medimos a percepção termoalgésica através do Teste Quantitativo Sensitivo (TQS) para percepção de calor e de dor. Resultados: 31 pacientes foram avaliados. Surpreendentemente, não houve associação entre a percepção termoalgésica e as queixas de dor ou sintomas da DP. Entretanto, houve uma correlação moderada mas significativa entre sintomas depressivos medidos pela BDI e os limiares de calor e de dor (r=0.54 para calor p<0.05 e r=0.47 p<0.05 para dor). Pacientes com sintomas depressivos significativos tiveram limiares de calor e de dor maiores comparados aos sem sintomas depressivos. Esse achado se manteve após correção estatística para severidade dos sintomas da DP. Conclusão: processamento termoalgésico em pacientes com DP é mais influenciado por depressão do que pela severidade da Doença de Parkinson ou pelo nível da dor em si. Essa informação tem implicações importantes para o diagnóstico e abordagem terapêutica para pacientes com DP e dor e/ou depressão. Por exemplo, a depressão poderia ser mais sistematicamente rastreada e tratada em pacientes com DP com processamento de dor alterado. / Introduction: Although depression and pain are highly prevalent in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients, there is a lack of studies in their relationship, even though it is well-known that pain is potentially modulated by emotional state. Aims: To assess warm and heat pain perception in a quantitative method and correlate it with psychiatric and parkinsonian symptoms. Methods: We carried out a transversal study assessing clinical and psychophysical data in 31 patients with PD during the effect of dopaminergic medication (on state). We assessed the clinical characteristics of Parkinson's using Hoehn and Yahr (HY), performed a psychiatric evaluation using Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) according to the DSM IV criteria and Mini Mental State Evaluation (MMSE), evaluated pain complaints in the last 90 days using a visual analogue scale for pain (VAS) and measured pain perception by means of quantitative sensory testing (QST) for warm and heat pain perception. Results: 31 patients were evaluated. Surprisingly, there was no association between thermoalgesic perception with pain complaints or parkinsonian symptoms. However, there was a moderate but significant correlation between depressive symptoms measured by BDI and warm sensation and heat pain thresholds(r=0.54 for warm p<0.05 and r=0.47 p<0.05 for heat pain). Patients with significant depressive symptoms had higher warm and heat pain thresholds compared to those without depression. This finding was maintained after statistical correction for the PD symptoms severity. Conclusion: Thermoalgesic processing in PD patients is more influenced by depression than by PD severity or level of pain itself. This information has important implications for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for patients with PD and pain and/or depression. For instance, depression might be more systematically screened and treated in PD patients with altered pain processing.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic pain, including persistent postsurgical pain, reduces patients' quality of life, mood, and productivity. It presents a significant economic burden to society, yielding an estimated $600 billion annual cost due to health care and lost work productivity. Moderate to severe chronic pain affects 5% of children and adolescents. The current body of knowledge has demonstrated a consensus opinion that psychological factors and sensory factors are correlated with pain in the adult population. However, more research is necessary to determine what role depression and sensory function play in predicting severity of persistent postsurgical pain in children and adolescents. Thus, the present study seeks to explore how, if at all, post-operative pain and functional disability at 1 month postsurgery is correlated with pre-operative depression and sensory profile. METHODS: Eligible candidates were Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) patients aged 10-17 who have been recommended to undergo spinal fusion surgery at Boston Children's Hospital (BCH). Fifteen participants were included in this study. Prior to surgery, all participants completed the Children's Depression Inventory: Short Form (CDI:S) via REDCap and underwent Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) on their palmar thenar eminence (non-surgical site) and their lower back (surgical site). Participants' light touch detection thresholds and sharp prick pain threshold scores were determined using von Frey hairs. Participants' pressure-pain sensation threshold scores were determined using a pressure algometer. Warm and cool detection thresholds and hot and cold pain thresholds were measured using a thermode strapped to the skin. At 1 month postsurgery, participants completed the Functional Disability Inventory (FDI) and reported their pain scores, including their current pain, average and worst pain in the last week, average and worst pain in the last month, and average and worst pain in the last six months. Each presurgical variable was compared with each postsurgical variable using Pearson correlations at a significance level of p < 0.05. Additionally, postsurgical FDI scores were compared with postsurgical pain scores using Pearson correlations. RESULTS: Due to the small sample size (N = 15), the results should be considered preliminary. Preoperative CDI:S scores were not found to be correlated with postoperative pain and functional disability at 1 month postsurgery. Several preoperative QST variables were found to be correlated with postsurgical pain at 1 month. Namely, light touch detection threshold on the hand was negatively correlated with current pain (p < 0.05), average pain in the last week (p < 0.05), worst pain in the last week (p < 0.05), average pain in the last month (p < 0.05), and worst pain in the last month (p < 0.05). Warm detection threshold on the hand was negatively correlated with four different post-operative pain measures taken at one month post-surgery: worst pain in the last week (p < 0.05), worst pain in the last month (p < 0.05), average pain in the last six months (p < 0.05), and worst pain in the last six months (p < 0.05). Finally, heat pain threshold on the hand was negatively correlated with worst pain in the last 6 months at 1 month postsurgery (p < 0.05). Furthermore, postsurgical scores on the FDI were positively correlated with current pain at the 1-month post-surgical time point (p < 0.01), average pain in the last week at the 1-month post-surgical time point (p < 0.05), and worst pain in the last week at the 1-month post-surgical time point (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary evidence of a correlation between heat sensitivity and poor postsurgical pain outcomes in the AIS population. Contrary to what was expected, hyposensitivity to light touch was correlated with worse pain outcomes. It is unclear why this is the case, and further research on the somatosensory profiles of pain patients is needed to examine this phenomenon. One of the most important findings in the present study is the correlation between post-operative pain and functional disability. The present study contributes to the small but growing body of knowledge surrounding the correlates of pediatric postsurgical pain. The use of QST provides an objective, quantifiable measure of patients' somatosensory profile. Furthermore, the present study contributes to the expansive research base that has shown the detrimental effects of chronic pain, highlighting the correlation between pain and functional disability in the AIS population following spinal fusion surgery.

Introdução: apesar de depressão e dor serem altamente prevalentes em pacientes com Doença de Parkinson (DP), há poucos estudos sobre a relação entre esses fatores, apesar da já bem descrita potencial modulação da dor por estados emocionais. Objetivo: avaliar a percepção termoalgésica de calor e dor em método quantitativo e correlacioná-la com sintomas psiquiátricos e da Doença de Parkinson. Método: realizamos um estudo transversal avaliando características clínicas e dados psicofísicos em 31 pacientes com DP sob efeito da medicação dopaminérgica (estado “on”). Verificamos as características da DP utilizando a escala Hoehn and Yahr, realizamos uma avaliação psiquiátrica usando as escalas Inventário de Depressão de Beck (Inventário de Depressão de Beck - IDB), Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) de acordo com os critérios do DSM IV, e Mini Mental State Evaluation (MMSE), avaliamos queixas de dor nos últimos 90 dias usando uma escala visual analógica para dor (EVA – Escala Visual Analógica) e medimos a percepção termoalgésica através do Teste Quantitativo Sensitivo (TQS) para percepção de calor e de dor. Resultados: 31 pacientes foram avaliados. Surpreendentemente, não houve associação entre a percepção termoalgésica e as queixas de dor ou sintomas da DP. Entretanto, houve uma correlação moderada mas significativa entre sintomas depressivos medidos pela BDI e os limiares de calor e de dor (r=0.54 para calor p<0.05 e r=0.47 p<0.05 para dor). Pacientes com sintomas depressivos significativos tiveram limiares de calor e de dor maiores comparados aos sem sintomas depressivos. Esse achado se manteve após correção estatística para severidade dos sintomas da DP. Conclusão: processamento termoalgésico em pacientes com DP é mais influenciado por depressão do que pela severidade da Doença de Parkinson ou pelo nível da dor em si. Essa informação tem implicações importantes para o diagnóstico e abordagem terapêutica para pacientes com DP e dor e/ou depressão. Por exemplo, a depressão poderia ser mais sistematicamente rastreada e tratada em pacientes com DP com processamento de dor alterado. / Introduction: Although depression and pain are highly prevalent in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients, there is a lack of studies in their relationship, even though it is well-known that pain is potentially modulated by emotional state. Aims: To assess warm and heat pain perception in a quantitative method and correlate it with psychiatric and parkinsonian symptoms. Methods: We carried out a transversal study assessing clinical and psychophysical data in 31 patients with PD during the effect of dopaminergic medication (on state). We assessed the clinical characteristics of Parkinson's using Hoehn and Yahr (HY), performed a psychiatric evaluation using Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) according to the DSM IV criteria and Mini Mental State Evaluation (MMSE), evaluated pain complaints in the last 90 days using a visual analogue scale for pain (VAS) and measured pain perception by means of quantitative sensory testing (QST) for warm and heat pain perception. Results: 31 patients were evaluated. Surprisingly, there was no association between thermoalgesic perception with pain complaints or parkinsonian symptoms. However, there was a moderate but significant correlation between depressive symptoms measured by BDI and warm sensation and heat pain thresholds(r=0.54 for warm p<0.05 and r=0.47 p<0.05 for heat pain). Patients with significant depressive symptoms had higher warm and heat pain thresholds compared to those without depression. This finding was maintained after statistical correction for the PD symptoms severity. Conclusion: Thermoalgesic processing in PD patients is more influenced by depression than by PD severity or level of pain itself. This information has important implications for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for patients with PD and pain and/or depression. For instance, depression might be more systematically screened and treated in PD patients with altered pain processing.

Skin temperature is detected through signals in unmyelinated C-fibers and thin myelinated Aδ-fibers in the peripheral and central nervous system. Disorders in thin nerve fibres are important and not rare but difficult to diagnose by the most common neurophysiological methods. In this pilot study different methods for quantitative sensory testing, QST, were compared to give some ideas about which method could be the most efficient to use in order to point out injuries of the sensory system in clinical practice. The comparison was made between Békésy (separate warmand cold thresholds) and Marstock test (combined warm and cold thresholds). The study also included the test persons estimations of the difficulty to perform the tests. The study showed that there was no practical difference between the tests and that the test persons estimations did not show any indications that the methods differed in rating of difficulty. Our study did not give reason to stop measuring warm and cold detection thresholds separately, which is the international standard and have some theoretical advantages. We also compared detection thresholds for hand and foot, warmth and cold and for both slow and fast temperature changes to enlighten factors that could affect our measuring data.

O envelhecimento humano resulta em anormalidades que podem comprometer a autonomia e a qualidade de vida da pessoa idosa, e a perda de sensibilidade está entre elas. A percepção sensitiva orofacial depende da interação de diversas modalidades, e no processo de transdução a saliva tem um papel importante. Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar os limiares de sensibilidade somestésica, gustativa, olfativa, e o fluxo salivar em indivíduos de diferentes faixas etárias e de acordo com o sexo. Foram avaliados 126 voluntários saudáveis (65 mulheres). Os participantes foram divididos em cinco grupos de acordo com a idade: 18 a 25 anos, 26 a 40 anos, 41 a 60 anos, 61 a 80 anos e acima de 80 anos. Foram utilizados instrumentos para a avaliação sensitiva superficial (dor, tato - IITC Woodland Hills, EUA; frio, calor - MSA II e vibratórios - Somedic, Suécia) aplicados em pontos distintos da face, dentes (sensibilidade elétrica - Pulpotest) e à distância (mãos e pernas) além de substâncias diluídas em diferentes concentrações para as sensibilidades gustativa (doce - glicose, salgado - cloreto de sódio, azedo - ácido cítrico e amargo - uréia) e olfativa (isopropanol em diferentes concentrações). O fluxo salivar também foi mensurado. Os limiares sensitivos tácteis, vibratórios, ao frio, ao calor, doloroso de profundidade, gustativos (doce; salgado; azedo) e olfativos foram maiores e o fluxo salivar foi menor após os 61 anos quando comparados aos grupos mais jovens. Na comparação entre os sexos, as mulheres apresentaram os seguintes limiares menores do que os homens: gustativos (doce; salgado; azedo e amargo), olfativo, calor e dolorosos (superfície e profundidade). Conclui-se que a idade e o sexo influenciam na sensibilidade dos indivíduos / The aging process results in abnormalities that can affect the autonomy and quality of life of the elderly and the loss of sensitivity is one of them. The orofacial sensory perception depends on an interaction among sensory modalities and saliva plays a role in the transduction of oral sensations. The aim of this study was to investigate the gustative, olfactory and somesthetic sensory thresholds and salivary flow in subjects divided according to the ages and according to sexes. One hundred twenty six (126) healthy individuals were evaluated (65 women). The age groups were: 18 to 25 years, 26 to 40 years, 41 to 60 years, 61 to 80 years and above 80 years. The following instruments were used for the quantitative sensory testing: IITC Woodland Hills, USA for the superficial tactile and pain thresholds; Quantitative sensory testing MSA II, Somedic, Sweden for cold and warm thresholds, Somedic Vibrometer, Sweden for vibration thresholds, Pulpotest for electric sensitivity of the teeth. The tests were performed at the face and in hands and legs. The gustative and olfactory thresholds were assessed with the following substances in several concentrations: -glucose (sweet), sodium chlorate (salty), citric acid (sour), urea (bitter) and isopropanol (olfaction). The salivary flow was also measured with an electronic balanceTactile, vibratory, cold, warm, superficial pain, gustative (sweet; salty; sour) and olfactory thresholds were higher after 61 years and the salivary flow was lower after 61 years than the younger age groups. Comparing the sexes, women had lower gustative (sweet; salty; sour and bitter), olfactory, warm and pain (superficial and deep) thresholds than men. In conclusion, ages and sex may have an influence in sensory perception of subjects

ABSTRACT Whiplash associated disorders (WAD) is one of the most debated musculoskeletal conditions. Sensory disturbances including hypersensitive responses to mechanical, thermal and electrical stimulation have been consistently shown to be a feature of both the acute and chronic stages of the whiplash condition. More importantly, such dysfunctions have also been found to be associated with higher risk of poor functional recovery. It is apparent that better understanding of the sensory disturbances in WAD is needed in order to elucidate mechanisms underlying the pain and disability of this recalcitrant condition and to facilitate the development of more effective management strategies. Comprehensive Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) combining sensory detection and pain threshold measures is proving to be a valuable tool to advance the classification and illuminating the underlying mechanisms of an array of musculoskeletal pain disorders but such protocol has never been undertaken in a WAD cohort. In order to fill this gap in knowledge, the series of studies in the thesis aimed to utilize comprehensive QST to investigate the presence of somatosensory dysfunction in chronic WAD and to compare the somatosensory profile of WAD to cervical radiculopathy and idiopathic (non-traumatic) neck pain. Once a better understanding of the potential underlying mechanisms in chronic WAD was established, the research then focused on documenting the presence of such somatosensory disturbances soon after whiplash injury and its temporal development over a 6 months period. The results have provided a number of significant insights into some of the potential underlying mechanisms of the somatosensory dysfunction in WAD as well as other neck pain conditions of different aetiology. It is clear that generalised sensory hypoaesthesia coexisted with sensory hypersensitivity in chronic WAD and a combination of pain and detection measures best discriminated patients with WAD and controls. Similar sensory presentation was also found in patients with cervical radiculopathy but not in idiopathic neck pain patients. This finding indicates that different mechanisms underlie various musculoskeletal conditions with disordered central processes contributing to a greater degree in some conditions. Patients with whiplash and those with cervical radiculopthy may share similar underlying pain mechanisms involving the central nervous system and the discrepant findings in the idiopathic neck pain group may be due to the magnitude of nociceptive input required to induce/maintain altered central adaptive changes. Another important observation from the studies was that sensory hypoaesthesia was present in the majority of patients with whiplash injury in the acute stage. However, it persisted only in individuals who initially reported higher levels of pain and disability levels and sign of hypersensitivity. It was this group of individuals who predominantly developed persistent symptoms at six months post injury. The longitudinal findings indicate that such sensory impairments can be identified very early on and treatment interventions directed at these sensory disturbances (both sensory hypersensitivity and hypoaesthesia) should aim to reduce the nociceptive input and this may improve recovery post whiplash injury. The findings in this thesis demonstrated the clear association between sensory hypersensitivity and other sensory disturbances and their potential influence on recovery. Furthermore, the heterogeneity of the whiplash condition highlighted the importance of the early identification of “low-risk and “high-risk” patients in order to assist the clinicians to make clinical decisions on the best management approach. It cannot be overemphasised that the early assessment of whiplash injured patients should aim to identify features associated with poor recovery and a better classification system will be an important step. Implications for assessment and management of whiplash are vital in the acute stage of injury and may well go some way toward preventing the transition to chronicity, particularly in those with a more complex clinical presentation involving somatosensory disturbances. Further research directions have also been identified in order to improvement management of this complex clinical condition.