Table 2.
Descriptors of intensity (sensory) and discomfort (affective) aspects of electrical stimulation.
| Descriptors of sensory aspect of the NMES current | Sensory descriptors categories | Descriptors of affective aspect of the NMES current | Affective descriptors categories | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extremely intense | 15 | High intensity descriptors | Excruciating | 15 | High discomfort descriptors |
| Very intense | 14 | Intolerable | 14 | ||
| Very strong | 13 | Unbearable | 13 | ||
| Intense | 12 | Agonizing | 12 | ||
| Strong | 11 | Horrible | 11 | ||
| Slightly intense | 10 | Moderate intensity descriptors | Dreadful | 10 | Moderate discomfort descriptors |
| Barely strong | 9 | Frightful | 9 | ||
| Moderate | 8 | Awful | 8 | ||
| Slightly moderate | 7 | Miserable | 7 | ||
| Very moderate | 6 | Oppressive | 6 | ||
| Mild | 5 | Low intensity descriptors | Distressing | 5 | Low discomfort descriptors |
| Very mild | 4 | Uncomfortable | 4 | ||
| Weak | 3 | Unpleasant | 3 | ||
| Very weak | 2 | Distracting | 2 | ||
| Extremely weak | 1 | Bearable | 1 | ||
The sensory and affective adjectives are numbered from 1 to 15. They are divided into high (11–15), moderate (6–10) and low (1–5). These divisions were not shown to the subjects; the subjects were only shown the two columns of the sensory and affective descriptors. NMES, neuromuscular electrical stimulation.