Skip to main content
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1987 Sep;50(9):1211–1215. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.50.9.1211

A portable system for measuring cutaneous thresholds for warming and cooling.

C J Fowler 1, M B Carroll 1, D Burns 1, N Howe 1, K Robinson 1
PMCID: PMC1032357  PMID: 3668571

Abstract

Measurement of cutaneous thermal thresholds is a valuable technique for detecting small fibre neuropathy. A robust and portable microcomputer controlled system, which separately measures thresholds for warming and cooling, is described. Thresholds at three sites have been measured; the cheek, the dorsum of the hand and the sole of the foot. Regional variability and a correlation with age have been found, indicating the sensitivity of this system.

Full text

PDF
1211

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Arezzo J. C., Schaumburg H. H., Laudadio C. Thermal sensitivity tester. Device for quantitative assessment of thermal sense in diabetic neuropathy. Diabetes. 1986 May;35(5):590–592. doi: 10.2337/diab.35.5.590. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bertelsmann F. W., Heimans J. J., Weber E. J., van der Veen E. A., Schouten J. A. Thermal discrimination thresholds in normal subjects and in patients with diabetic neuropathy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1985 Jul;48(7):686–690. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.48.7.686. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Fruhstorfer H., Lindblom U., Schmidt W. C. Method for quantitative estimation of thermal thresholds in patients. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1976 Nov;39(11):1071–1075. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.39.11.1071. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Guy R. J., Clark C. A., Malcolm P. N., Watkins P. J. Evaluation of thermal and vibration sensation in diabetic neuropathy. Diabetologia. 1985 Mar;28(3):131–137. doi: 10.1007/BF00273859. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Heimans J. J., Bertelsmann F. W., Van Rooy J. C. Large and small nerve fiber function in painful diabetic neuropathy. J Neurol Sci. 1986 Jun;74(1):1–9. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(86)90186-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Jamal G. A., Hansen S., Weir A. I., Ballantyne J. P. An improved automated method for the measurement of thermal thresholds. 1. Normal subjects. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1985 Apr;48(4):354–360. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.48.4.354. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kenshalo D. R., Bergen D. C. A device to measure cutaneous temperature sensitivity in humans and subhuman species. J Appl Physiol. 1975 Dec;39(6):1038–1040. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1975.39.6.1038. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Ochoa J., Mair W. G. The normal sural nerve in man. I. Ultrastructure and numbers of fibres and cells. Acta Neuropathol. 1969;13(3):197–216. doi: 10.1007/BF00690642. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES