Quantitative sensory testing in the trigeminal region: site and gender differences.

AIMS: To establish a quantitative sensory testing (QST) profile in the trigeminal (V) area and test for site and gender differences in healthy humans. METHODS: A standardized QST protocol was applied on 15 healthy men (age range: 18 to 25 years old) and 15 age-matched women, and the sensitivity was examined bilaterally in facial sites supplied by the infraorbital (V2) and mental (V3) nerves. The cold detection threshold (CDT), cold pain threshold (CPT), warm detection threshold (WDT), heat pain threshold (HPT), thermal sensory limen (TSL), mechanical detection threshold (MDT), mechanical pain sensitivity (MPS), mechanical pain threshold (MPT), dynamic mechanical allodynia (ALL), windup ratio (WUR), pressure pain threshold (PPT), and vibration detection threshold (VDT) were determined. Data were tested with ANOVAs for repeated measures and post-hoc comparisons were calculated using Bonferroni tests. RESULTS: There were significant gender differences with lower threshold (higher sensitivity) in women for CDT (P = .030) and PPT (P = .006). A significantly lower threshold (higher sensitivity) was detected for HPT (P < .001), and significantly higher thresholds (lower sensitivity) for VDT (P < .001) and CDT (P < .001) in V2 compared to V3. There were no significant right-to-left side differences for any of the QST parameters. CONCLUSION: Application of this standardized QST protocol may allow for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms from somatosensory phenotypes and provide basic information for the study of sensory dysfunctions in the V area.