Experimentally induced pain and paresthesia respond differently to parameter changes of cuff-based compression in pain-free young individuals

Neuropathic pain is a significant therapeutic challenge due to the co-occurrence with other neurological symptoms such as paresthesia. Human-based models such as cuff algometry can enhance our understanding of pain-paresthesia relationships. This experiment aimed to characterize (psychophysically) pain and paresthesia evoked by stimuli of different temporal and intensity parameters and to demonstrate the reliability of experimental induction of these two symptoms using cuff algometry. Forty participants, aged 18-35, were exposed to mechanical pressure stimuli at three intensities (100, 150, 200 mmHg) and three durations (90, 120, 150s). Skin Conductance (SC) was continuously monitored, and participants rated pain and paresthesia in real-time using a computerized visual analog scale. The General Linear Model analysis revealed significant differences in paresthesia across all durations (p0.05). Conversely, pain responses showed significant differences across all pressure intensities (p0.05). No interaction effects were found for either symptom. SC analysis showed no significant main or interaction effects. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) indicated moderate to good reliability for pain and paresthesia induction across different durations and intensities (ICC: 0.52-0.90), while SC showed poor to moderate reliability (ICC: 0.21-0.73). In conclusion, computerized cuff algometry seems to be an effective and reliable method for simultaneously inducing and assessing pain and paresthesia, revealing that these symptoms follow different patterns based on pressure duration and intensity.