Quantitative sensory testing (QST) in the orofacial region of healthy Chinese: influence of site, gender and age

Authors

  • Yanting Wang Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Department of Endodontics, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Yixing Institute of Preventive Dentistry, Yixing, China
  • Xueyin Mo Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Department of Endodontics, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Hangzhou ivy dental clinic Co., Limited, Hangzhou, ChinA
  • Jinglu Zhang Orofacial Pain & TMD Research Unit, Institute of Stomatology, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
  • Yuan Fan Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Department of Endodontics, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
  • Kelun Wang Orofacial Pain & TMD Research Unit, Institute of Stomatology, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Center for Sensory–Motor Interaction (SMI), Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
  • Svensson Peter Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Section of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden; Scandinavian Center for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON), Aarhus, Denmark

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1080/00016357.2017.1383511

Keywords:

Quantitative sensory testing (QST), gender difference, age difference, trigeminal system, somatosensory physiology

Abstract

Objective: To establish a preliminary thermal and mechanical somatosensory profile using a standardized quantitative sensory testing (QST) to investigate site, gender and age differences in healthy Chinese.

Materials and methods: Twenty younger (age: 20–40 years, 10 men, 10 women) and twenty older (age: 41–61 years, 10 men, 10 women) healthy participants completed the study. Cold detection threshold (CDT), warm detection threshold (WDT), cold pain threshold (CPT), heat pain threshold (HPT), mechanical detection threshold (MDT) and mechanical pain threshold (MPT) were measured at five sites: Left hand, bilaterally at the mental area, tip of tongue and the lower lip mucosa. Mixed model ANOVAs with repeated measures were used to analyze the data.

Results: MDT(p < .001) and MPT (p < .05) were significantly higher on the hand compared to the mental areas. The CDT ( p = .006) was significantly higher and WDT (p < .001) was significantly lower at the tongue compared to lip mucosa and CDT (p < .001) was higher at the tongue mucosa than at the mental areas. WDT (p < .001) and HPT (p < .05) were significantly higher at the tip of the tongue and the lower lip mucosa compared to the mental areas. Significantly lower sensitivity for WDT (p < .001) and CDT (p = .004) were found in the older group compared to the younger group. Significant gender differences were found with less sensitivity for WDT (p = .024) and MDT (p = .003) in men compared to women.

Conclusions: Application of standardized QST can provide valuable information of orofacial somatosensory phenotypes in a Chinese population. Age, gender and site are mandatory to control for.

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Published

2018-01-02

Issue

Vol. 76 No. 1 (2018): Acta Odontologica Scandinavica

Section

Articles