Background & Aims
Accurate evaluation of pericranial sensitivity is crucial for mitigating diagnostic errors and enhancing the interpretation of treatment effectiveness. The primary aim of this ongoing study is to compare the relative and absolute reliability between the following techniques employed in assessing pericranial sensitivity in healthy participants and tension-type headache (TTH) patients: manual palpation, palpation with the aid of a mechanical device (device-guided palpation) and pressure pain threshold (PPT).
Methods
Fifty healthy participants and 35 TTH patients are being evaluated in two sessions by a single examiner within an interval of one week. The primary outcome is the pericranial mechanical sensitivity assessed by means of manual palpation and the calculation of the total tenderness score (TTS); palpation with 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kg loads (Palpeter); and PPT. The assessment sites are the frontal, temporal, masseter, and trapezius muscles and also the posterior region of the neck on both sides. The order of techniques and sites was randomized for each person. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and its 95% confidence interval (CI), standard error of measurement (SEM), the smallest detectable change (SDC), and correlation coefficients are being computed.
Results
So far only the healthy participants and 10 TTH patients completed the data collection and were analyzed. For the healthy participants, the TTS presented acceptable values of relative reliability considering the ICC 95% CI from 0.41 to 0.76. Moreover, the SEM and SDC were moderate considering the maximum TTS value. Overall, the device-guided palpation and the PPT presented good to excellent relative reliability considering the ICC 95% CIs from 0.66 to 0.94. In the TTH group, although all palpation methods presented good to excellent relative reliability values, the ICC 95% CIs were large, ranging from 0.06 to 0.97 for all methods. Further, the SEM and SDC values were higher for the TTH patients.
Conclusions
TTS seems an appropriate technique to be used in the clinical practice and in research investigations. Moreover, the device-guided palpation may be regarded as a reference standard owing to its exceptional reliability.
References
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Presenting Author
Soraya Salmanzadeh Ardestani
Poster Authors
Soraya Ardestani
MSc
University of Campinas/Piracicaba Dental School
Lead Author
Leonardo Rigoldi Bonjardim
Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo
Lead Author
Fernando Exposto
Section of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Aarhus University
Lead Author
Peter Svensson
DDS
Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Aarhus University
Lead Author
Rigmor Højland Jensen
DDS
University of Copenhagen/Department of Clinical Medicine
Lead Author
Yuri Martins Costa
DDS, PhD
Department of Biosciences Piracicaba Dental School University of Campinas Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
Lead Author
Topics
- Specific Pain Conditions/Pain in Specific Populations: Orofacial Pain