Table 5. Absolute abnormal values upon QST at follow-up and their change compared to visit 1.
| Patient | QST | SI | Pain | NPS | CRPS severity score | Motor | Autonomic | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PHS contralateral +, WDT–bil. (↓), VDT–bil. (↓), MPS + bil. (↑), PPT–bil. (↓), | -6 | Ongoing, NRS 5 (↑) | 39 (↑) | 12 (↑) | + | + | Increasing bilateral loss and sensitization (MPS); pain-induced hypoaesthesia? |
| 2 | VDT ipsilateral–(↓), CPT + bil. (↑), HPT + bil. (↑), MPS + bil. (↑), PPT–bil- (↓) | 6.5 | Ongoing, NRS 5.5 (↓) | 52 (↑) | 9 (↓) | + | + | Increasing bilateral sensitization despite pain reduction and improvement |
| 3 | CPT + bil. (↔), HPT bil. + (↑), MPS + bil. (↑) | 10 | Intermittent, NRS 3.5 (↓) | 15 (↓) | 12 (↓) | + | + | Increasing bilateral sensitization despite pain reduction and improvement |
| 4 | HPT normalized ipsilateral, MPT contralateral + (↑), WUR contralateral + (↑), PPT–bil. (↓) | 10 | Intermittent, NRS 2.5 (↓) | 68 (↑) | 8 (↓) | + | + | Increasing contralateral sensitization despite pain reduction |
| 5 | CPT ipsilateral + (↔), HPT ipsilateral + (↔), MPT contralateral + (↑), MPS + bil. (↑) | 0 | Ongoing,NRS 2 (↔) | 13 (↓) | 6 (↓) | + | + | Increasing bilateral sensitization |
| 6 | WDT ipsilateral–(↔), TSL ipsilateral–(↔), MDT ipsilateral–(↔), VDT normalized ipsilateral, CPT ipsilateral + (↑), MPS + bil. (↑) | 5 | Ongoing,NRS 7.5 (↔) | 44 (↓) | 9 (↑) | + | + | Continuing ipsilateral loss, increasing bilateral sensitization |
| 7 | WDT contralateral–(↔), VDT normalized bil., WUR ipsilateral + (↑), PPT ipsilateral–(↓) | 8 | Intermittent,NRS 1 (↓) | 11 (↓) | 3 (↓) | + | + | Ipsilateral hints for increasing central sensitization (WUR) |
| 8 | WDT–ipsilateral (↔), CDT/TSL/MDT normalized ipsilateral, DMA + ipsilateral (↔), MPT + bil. (↔), | 2 | Ongoing,NRS 2 (↓) | 56 (↓) | 10 (↔) | + | + | Normalization of detection thresholds, continuing central sensitization |
| 9 | WDT contralateral–(↓), TSL contralateral–(↓), CPT + ipsilateral (↔), CPT + contralateral (↑), HPT normalized ipsilateral, MPS + bil. (↑) | 6.5 | Intermittent,NRS 5 (↓) | 30 (↓) | 12 (↓) | + | + | Increasing thermal loss contralateral, ongoing sensitization ipsilateral, increasing sensitization contralateral despite improvement |
| 10 | DMA and PPT normalized ipsilateral | 9 | No pain | 0 (↓) | 8 (↔) | + | + | Complete relief of pain, no QST abnormalities |
| 11 | WDT ipsilateral–(↓), CPT ipsilateral + (↔), CPT contralateral + (↑), HPT ipsilateral + (↔), MPS + bil. (↔), PPT–bil. (↓) | 8 | Intermittent,NRS 4 (↓) | 20 (↓) | 9 (↑) | + | + | Ongoing thermal loss ipsilateral and sensitization bilaterally, increasing contralateral sensitization |
| 12 | CDT–ipsilateral (↓), WDT–contralateral (↔), TSL—contralateral (↓), CPT contralateral + (↑), HPT + ipsilateral (↔), MPT + ipsilateral (↑), PPT–bil. (↓) | 7 | No pain | n.a. | 7 (↓) | + | + | Increasing loss and sensitization bilaterally despite complete relief of pain |
| 13 | CDT and MDT ipsilateral normalized, WDT–ipsilateral (↔), WDT contralateral (↓), PPT–bil. (↓) | 10 | No pain | n.a. | 2 (↓) | + | + | No sensitization, normalization of cold and detection thresholds with pain relief, but not for warm detection thresholds |
| 14 | DMA normalized ipsilateral, MPS + ipsilateral (↔), PPT–bil. (↓) | 5 | Intermittent,NRS 3 (↓) | 39 (↓) | 8 (↓) | + | + | Improvement of sensitization with pain reduction |
| 15 | VDT–bil. (↔), CPT + ipsilateral (↑), HPT + ipsilateral (↑) | 5 | Intermittent,NRS 5 (↔) | 34 (↑) | 9 (↔) | + | + | Ongoing bilateral loss and increasing ipsilateral sensitization with steady pain |
| 16 | VDT normalized ipsilateral, CPT + bil. (↑), HPT + ipsilateral (↔), MPT + ipsilateral (↑), PPT–bil. (↓) | 10 | Intermittent, NRS 1 (↓) | 25 (↓) | 8 (↑) | + | + | VDT normalized ipsilateral with reduction of pain, but increased bilateral sensitization |
| 17 | HPT and DMA normalized ipsilateral, PPT–bil. (↓) | -10 | Ongoing, NRS 7 (↓) | 79 (↑) | 7 (↓) | + | + | No loss, decreasing sensitization |
| 18 | MDT normalized ipsilateral, VDT normalized bilateral, CDT–ipsilateral (↔), TSL–ipsilateral (↔), CPT + bil. (↑), HPT + ipsilateral (↑), MPT + bil. (↑), MPS + bil. (↑) | 7 | Ongoing,NRS 5.5 (↓) | 34 (↓) | 9 (↓) | + | + | Normalization of mechanical loss bilaterally, but ongoing ipsilateral thermal loss and increasing bilateral sensitization despite pain reduction |
| 19 | CPT + bil. (↑), MPT + ipsilateral (↑), PPT–bil. (↓) | 9 | Intermittent, NRS 1 (↓) | 8 (↓) | 7 (↔) | + | + | Increasing bilateral sensitization despite pain reduction and improvement |
+: gain, -: loss, SI: Subjective Improvement, bil.: bilateral; ↓ loss compared to examination upon visit 1, ↑ gain compared to examination upon visit 1. NRS: Numerical Rating scale (0 = no pain, 10 = maximum imaginable pain), n.a.: not available upon follow-up, CDT: cold detection threshold, WDT: warm detection threshold, TSL: thermal sensory limen, CPT: cold pain threshold, HPT: heat pain threshold, PPT: Pressure pain threshold, MPT: mechanical pain threshold, MPS: Mechanical pain sensitivity, WUR: wind-up ratio, MDT: Mechanical detection threshold, VDT: vibration detection threshold, DMA: dynamic mechanical allodynia, PHS; paradoxical heat sensations.