Reliability of a clinical sensory test battery in patients with spine ‐related leg and arm pain

ConclusionCST modalities with moderate to substantial inter-tester reliability could be of benefit as a screening tool. The moderate to substantial intra-tester reliability for all sensory modalities (except windup ratio) supports their potential use in clinical practice and research to monitor somatosensory changes over time in patients with spine-related limb pain of mixed pain mechanisms.SignificanceWe already know that most modalities of clinical sensory test (CST) batteries achieve moderate to substantial inter- and intra-tester reliability in populations with neuropathic pain.This study evaluates the reliability of a CST battery in populations with mixed pain mechanisms. We found inter-tester reliability varied from poor to substantial for sensory modalities, questioning the value of some CST modalities. The CST battery showed moderate to substantial intra-tester reliability, suggesting its usefulness to monitor sensory changes over time in this cohort.
Source: European Journal of Pain - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research