389 HIGH-FREQUENCY STIMULATION-INDUCED LONG-TERM POTENTIATION (LTP) AND LOW-FREQUENCY STIMULATION-INDUCED DEPOTENTIATION (DE-LTP) OF PAIN PERCEPTION IN HUMANS

416 POTENTIATION AND DEPOTENTIATION OF PAIN PERCEPTION IN A HUMAN SURROGATE MODEL OF NOCICEPTIVE LTP

Quantitative sensory testing in the German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain (DFNS): reference data for the trunk and application in patients with chronic postherpetic neuralgia.

Age- and gender-matched reference values are essential for the clinical use of quantitative sensory testing (QST). To extend the standard test sites for QST-according to the German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain-to the trunk, we collected QST profiles on the back in 162 healthy subjects. Sensory profiles for standard test sites were within normal interlaboratory differences. QST revealed lower sensitivity on the upper back than the hand, and higher sensitivity on the lower back than the foot, but no systematic differences between these trunk sites. Age effects were significant for most parameters. Females exhibited lower pressure pain thresholds (PPT) than males, which was the only si…

Somatosensory profiles in subgroups of patients with myogenic temporomandibular disorders and Fibromyalgia Syndrome.

Some patients with myofascial pain from temporomandibular disorders (TMD) report pain in extra-trigeminal body regions. Our aim was to distinguish TMD as regional musculoskeletal pain syndrome (n=23) from a widespread pain syndrome (FMS; n=18) based on patients' tender point scores, pain drawings and quantitative sensory testing (QST) profiles. Referenced to 18 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects significant group differences for cold, pressure and pinprick pain thresholds, suprathreshold pinprick sensitivity and mechanical detection thresholds were found. Pain sensitivity in TMD patients ranged between those of FMS patients and healthy controls. The group of TMD patients was inhomogen…