Reliability of four experimental mechanical pain tests in children

Ann-Britt L Soee,1 Lise L Thomsen,2 Birte Tornoe,1,3 Liselotte Skov11Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Headache Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Copenhagen, Denmark; 2Department of Neuropediatrics, Juliane Marie Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, K&...

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Main Authors: Soee AL, Thomsen LL, Tornoe B, Skov L
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Dove Medical Press 2013-02-01
Series:Journal of Pain Research
Online Access:http://www.dovepress.com/reliability-of-four-experimental-mechanical-pain-tests-in-children-a12142
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spelling doaj-1d1e79efc55c4cc6b68c1079f77271562020-11-24T23:22:16ZengDove Medical PressJournal of Pain Research1178-70902013-02-012013default103110Reliability of four experimental mechanical pain tests in childrenSoee ALThomsen LLTornoe BSkov LAnn-Britt L Soee,1 Lise L Thomsen,2 Birte Tornoe,1,3 Liselotte Skov11Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Headache Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Copenhagen, Denmark; 2Department of Neuropediatrics, Juliane Marie Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, København Ø, Denmark; 3Department of Physiotherapy, Medical Department O, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, DenmarkPurpose: In order to study pain in children, it is necessary to determine whether pain measurement tools used in adults are reliable measurements in children. The aim of this study was to explore the intrasession reliability of pressure pain thresholds (PPT) in healthy children. Furthermore, the aim was also to study the intersession reliability of the following four tests: (1) Total Tenderness Score; (2) PPT; (3) Visual Analog Scale score at suprapressure pain threshold; and (4) area under the curve (stimulus–response functions for pressure versus pain).Participants and methods: Twenty-five healthy school children, 8–14 years of age, participated. Test 2, PPT, was repeated three times at 2 minute intervals on the same day to estimate PPT intrasession reliability using Cronbach’s alpha. Tests 1–4 were repeated after median 21 (interquartile range 10.5–22) days, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to describe the intersession reliability.Results: The PPT test was precise and reliable (Cronbach’s alpha ≥ 0.92). All tests showed a good to excellent correlation between days (intersessions r = 0.66–0.81). There were no indications of significant systematic differences found in any of the four tests between days.Conclusion: All tests seemed to be reliable measurements in pain evaluation in healthy children aged 8–14 years. Given the small sample size, this conclusion needs to be confirmed in future studies.Keywords: repeatability, intraindividual reliability, pressure pain threshold, pain measurement, algometerhttp://www.dovepress.com/reliability-of-four-experimental-mechanical-pain-tests-in-children-a12142
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Soee AL
Thomsen LL
Tornoe B
Skov L
spellingShingle Soee AL
Thomsen LL
Tornoe B
Skov L
Reliability of four experimental mechanical pain tests in children
Journal of Pain Research
author_facet Soee AL
Thomsen LL
Tornoe B
Skov L
author_sort Soee AL
title Reliability of four experimental mechanical pain tests in children
title_short Reliability of four experimental mechanical pain tests in children
title_full Reliability of four experimental mechanical pain tests in children
title_fullStr Reliability of four experimental mechanical pain tests in children
title_full_unstemmed Reliability of four experimental mechanical pain tests in children
title_sort reliability of four experimental mechanical pain tests in children
publisher Dove Medical Press
series Journal of Pain Research
issn 1178-7090
publishDate 2013-02-01
description Ann-Britt L Soee,1 Lise L Thomsen,2 Birte Tornoe,1,3 Liselotte Skov11Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Headache Clinic, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Copenhagen, Denmark; 2Department of Neuropediatrics, Juliane Marie Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, København Ø, Denmark; 3Department of Physiotherapy, Medical Department O, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, DenmarkPurpose: In order to study pain in children, it is necessary to determine whether pain measurement tools used in adults are reliable measurements in children. The aim of this study was to explore the intrasession reliability of pressure pain thresholds (PPT) in healthy children. Furthermore, the aim was also to study the intersession reliability of the following four tests: (1) Total Tenderness Score; (2) PPT; (3) Visual Analog Scale score at suprapressure pain threshold; and (4) area under the curve (stimulus–response functions for pressure versus pain).Participants and methods: Twenty-five healthy school children, 8–14 years of age, participated. Test 2, PPT, was repeated three times at 2 minute intervals on the same day to estimate PPT intrasession reliability using Cronbach’s alpha. Tests 1–4 were repeated after median 21 (interquartile range 10.5–22) days, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to describe the intersession reliability.Results: The PPT test was precise and reliable (Cronbach’s alpha ≥ 0.92). All tests showed a good to excellent correlation between days (intersessions r = 0.66–0.81). There were no indications of significant systematic differences found in any of the four tests between days.Conclusion: All tests seemed to be reliable measurements in pain evaluation in healthy children aged 8–14 years. Given the small sample size, this conclusion needs to be confirmed in future studies.Keywords: repeatability, intraindividual reliability, pressure pain threshold, pain measurement, algometer
url http://www.dovepress.com/reliability-of-four-experimental-mechanical-pain-tests-in-children-a12142
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