Contact Heat Evoked Potentials (CHEPs) in Patients with Mild-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease and Matched Control: A Pilot Study

Christina Jensen-Dahm, Caspar Skau Madsen, Gunhild Waldemar, Martin Ballegaard, Anne-Mette Hejl, Birger Johnsen, Troels Staehelin Jensen

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

13 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Clinical studies have found that patients with Alzheimer's disease report pain of less intensity and with a lower affective response, which has been thought to be due to altered pain processing. The authors wished to examine the cerebral processing of non-painful and painful stimuli using somatosensory evoked potentials and contact heat evoked potentials in patients with Alzheimer's disease and in healthy elderly controls.

DESIGN: Case-control study

SETTING AND SUBJECTS: Twenty outpatients with mild-moderate Alzheimer's disease and in 17 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were included

METHOD: Contact heat evoked potentials and somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded in all subjects. Furthermore, warmth detection threshold and heat pain threshold were assessed. Patients and controls also rated quality and intensity of the stimuli.

RESULTS: The authors found no difference on contact heat evoked potential amplitude (P = 0.59) or latency of N2 or P2 wave (P = 0.62 and P = 0.75, respectively) between patients and controls. In addition, there was no difference in regard to pain intensity scores or pain quality. The patients and controls had similar warmth detection threshold and heat pain threshold. Somatosensory evoked potentials, amplitude, and latency were within normal range and similar for the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the processing of non-painful and painful stimuli is preserved in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftPain Medicine
Vol/bind17
Udgave nummer4
Sider (fra-til)675-84
Antal sider10
ISSN1526-2375
DOI
StatusUdgivet - apr. 2016

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