Correlation of Warmth Detection with Sensitivity of Modalities such as Temperature Thresholds and Pain Thresholds Open Access
Charan, Mayuri (Spring 2025)
Abstract
Introduction and Background:
The ability to perceive temperature is crucial for human interaction with the environment. The mechanisms behind thermal detection and pain processing involve specialized receptors, sensory fibers, and pathways. This study aims to understand how warmth detection influences sensitivity to temperature and pain, particularly concerning warmth-insensitive fields (WIFs), areas with impaired warmth detection. Understanding the relationship between warmth detection and thermal modalities such as heat pain, cool detection and cold pain could provide insights into sensory processing and chronic pain mechanisms. It allows us to understand the physiology, integration and processing of both innocuous and noxious thermal stimuli.
Materials and Methods:
The study included 44 sites (22 WIFs and 22 non WIFs) from 22 pain-free participants. Warmth-insensitive fields (WIFs) were identified using thermal stimulation. Sensitivity to thermal stimuli, including warmth, cool, heat pain, and cold pain thresholds, were measured in WIFs and normally sensitive regions using quantitative sensory testing. Data analysis involved correlation tests to examine relationships between thermal thresholds.
Results:
The study revealed correlations between warmth detection thresholds and nociceptive sensitivity. Higher warmth detection thresholds were associated with higher heat pain thresholds in WIFs and normally sensitive regions. Warmth detection thresholds were inversely correlated with cold-related measures, indicating that reduced warmth sensitivity was associated with reduced cold sensitivity.
Conclusion:
This study demonstrates a relationship between warmth detection, cold sensitivity, and pain thresholds. Further, it also opens avenues of research into the integrated processing of cold and warm stimuli which has traditionally been thought to have distinct processing. The findings suggest that thermal and nociceptive processing are interconnected, which may have implications for understanding and managing chronic pain conditions such as Fibromyalgia where hypersensitivity is a symptom and other conditions characterized by altered thermal perception.
Table of Contents
Introduction and Background
Historical Context of Thermal Perception
The skin as a sensory interface
Peripheral Detection and Separation
Molecular Thermometers: TRP Channels
Thermal TRP Channels: TRPV1, TRPV2, TRPV3, and TRPV4
TRPV1: The Heat Pain Sensor
TRPV2: The Extreme Heat Detector
TRPV3: The Warmth Detector
TRPV4: Overlapping Warmth Sensation
TRPM8 cold-detecting receptors
Pathways of perception
Ascending Pathways: Spinothalamic tract
Evidence for cross-modal sensory interference
Rationale for the Present Study
Materials and Methods
Study Design
Thermal Stimulation Device
Figure 1. Medoc TSA2 thermal stimulator (Medoc Ltd., 2019)
Identification of the Warmth Insensitive Fields (WIFs)
Figure 2. Thermode used 16X16 mm
Figure 3. WIF mapping grid on forearm
Nociceptive sensitivity testing
Analysis
Results
Warmth Detection and Heat Pain Thresholds
Figure 4. Correlation between Warmth thresholds in warmth insensitive fields (WIFs) and Heat pain thresholds in WIFs Pearson’s Correlation (r = 0.614, p = 0.002)
Figure 5. Correlation between Heat pain thresholds in WIFs and warm levels thresholds in WIFs Pearson’s correlation (r = 0.525, p = 0.012)
Figure 6. Correlation between Heat pain thresholds in WIFs and Heat pain in non-WIFs Pearson’s correlation (r = 0.658, p < 0.001)
Figure 7. Correlation between Warm thresholds in WIFs and Warm levels thresholds in WIFs Pearson Correlation (r = 0.705. p < 0.001)
Warmth Detection and Cold Sensitivity
Figure 8. Correlation between Warm thresholds in WIFs and Cold thresholds in WIFs Pearson’s correlation (r = –0.450, p = 0.041)
Figure 9. Correlation between Warm thresholds in WIFs and Cold thresholds in non-WIFs Pearson’s correlation (r = –0.476, p = 0.029)
Figure 10. Correlation between Warm thresholds and Cold pain thresholds in non-WIFs Pearson’s Correlation (r = -0.575, p = 0.006)
Figure 11. Correlation between Heat Pain thresholds in WIFs and Cold thresholds in WIFs
Figure 12. Correlation between Cool thresholds in WIFs and Cool thresholds in non-WIFs
Table 1. Pearson and Spearman Correlations with the two tailed significance for different modalities
Discussion
Limitations
Conclusion
About this Honors Thesis
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