Observation of nociceptive detection thresholds and cortical evoked potentials: Go/no-go versus two-interval forced choice

Abstract

Pain scientists and clinicians search for objective measures of altered nociceptive processing to study and stratify chronic pain patients. Nociceptive processing can be studied by observing a combination of nociceptive detection thresholds and evoked potentials. However, it is unknown whether the nociceptive detection threshold measured using a go-/no-go (GN) procedure can be biased by a response criterion. In this study, we compared nociceptive detection thresholds, psychometric slopes, and central evoked potentials obtained during a GN procedure with those obtained during a two-interval forced choice (2IFC) procedure to determine (1) if the nociceptive detection threshold during a GN procedure is biased by a criterion and (2) to determine if nociceptive evoked potentials observed in response to stimuli around the detection threshold are biased by a criterion. We found that the detection threshold was higher when assessed using a GN procedure in comparison with the 2IFC procedure. During a GN procedure, the average P2 component increased proportionally when averaged with respect to detection probability, but showed on-off behavior when averaged with respect to stimulus detection. During a 2IFC procedure, the average P2 component increased nonlinearly when averaged with respect to detection probability. These data suggest that nociceptive detection thresholds estimated using a GN procedure are subject to a response criterion.

The Relationship between Nociceptive Detection Thresholds and Pressure- and Electrical Pain Thresholds: An Explorative Study in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

“…Other studies in patient groups with the same method have been able to make similar observations, yet with a lower slope in response to both the single-and double pulse stimuli [17,18]. While more research is required to understand these differences, factors which are known to contribute differentially to the SP slope as compared to the DP slope, are the peripheral-and central sensitivity of the nociceptive function [10], as well as the internal criterion [26]. As such, it is recommended that future research not only evaluates what factors affect the outcome of NDT measurements, but also whether identified factors might affect NDTs of different stimulus types differently.…”

“…suggest that NDT outcomes are also sensitive to changes in central nociceptive functioning. Recently, it was found that the NDT can be affected by criterium formation, with some stimulus types being more sensitive than others[26]. Lastly, it is thought -but not yet evaluated -that NDTs are affected by factors such as the level of attention and internal noise.…”