Quantitative Dynamic Allodynograph—A Standardized Measure for Testing Dynamic Mechanical Allodynia in Chronic Limb Pain

Background: Dynamic mechanical allodynia (DMA) is both a symptom and a central sensitization sign, yet no standardized method for quantifying the DMA area has been reported. This study aimed to establish psychometric properties for <i>Quantitative Dynamic Allodynography</i> (<i>QDA...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Noy Turgeman Dahan, Jean-Jacques Vatine, Irit Weissman-Fogel, Hana Karpin, Sharon Shmuely, Tami Bar-Shalita
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-09-01
Series:Sensors
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/18/7949
Description
Summary:Background: Dynamic mechanical allodynia (DMA) is both a symptom and a central sensitization sign, yet no standardized method for quantifying the DMA area has been reported. This study aimed to establish psychometric properties for <i>Quantitative Dynamic Allodynography</i> (<i>QDA</i>), a newly developed protocol measuring the DMA area as a percentage of the body surface. Methods: Seventy-eight patients aged 18–65 diagnosed with chronic complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) participated in this study. Test–retest reliability was conducted twice, one week apart (N = 20), and inter-rater (N = 3) reliability was conducted on 10 participants. Disease severity (<i>CRPS Severity Score</i>, <i>CSS</i>), pain intensity (VAS), and quality of life (SF-36) measures were utilized to test construct validity. Results: High inter-rater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.96, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and test–retest reliability (<i>r</i> = 0.98, <i>p</i> < 0.001) were found. Furthermore, the QDA score was found to be correlated with the CSS (<i>r</i> = 0.47, <i>p</i> < 0.001), VAS (<i>r</i> = 0.37, <i>p</i> < 0.001), and the SF-36 physical health total (<i>r</i> = −0.47, <i>p</i> < 0.001) scores. Conclusion: The QDA is the first developed reliable and valid protocol for measuring DMA in a clinical setting and may be used as a diagnostic and prognostic measure in clinics and in research, advancing the pain precision medicine approach.
ISSN:1424-8220