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Accuracy and reliability of thermal threshold measurement in the chin using heat flux technique
Teppei Kawano1, Yuhji Kabasawa, Suga Ashikawa
1Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
Background:
Neurosensory disturbance (NSD) occasionally develops in the chin following dental treatments, and evaluation of the involved nerve damage is important for treatment. The thermal-threshold test is a method of evaluating nerve sensations, but it is not widely used because its accuracy and reliability have not yet been determined.
Purpose:
This study aimed to determine the accuracy and reliability of thermal-threshold measurement of the chin by using the heat-flux technique.
Materials And Methods:
The subjects were 19 healthy volunteers (7 women, 12 men), aged 21 to 36 years (mean age +/- SD, 27.2 +/- 4.5 years). The thermal thresholds, including the warm and cold heat-flux thresholds (WHF and CHF, respectively) were measured on the chin, forehead, and neck by using a thermostimulator. To evaluate test-retest reliability, we measured the thermal thresholds on 3 different days (days 1, 3, and 7).
Results:
The WHF and CHF of the right chin were 460 +/- 165 W/m(2) (mean +/- SD W/m(2)) and 589 +/- 133 W/m(2), respectively, and those of the left chin were 446 +/- 112 W/m(2) and 576 +/- 147 W/m(2), respectively. The thermal thresholds of the right and left chin were significantly correlated (R = 0.89, P < .001). Thermal-threshold measurement was more accurate in the case of the chin than in the case of the neck. The thermal thresholds measured over the 3 days varied very little (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.80-0.81), indicating high test-retest reliability.
Conclusion:
The heat-flux technique is accurate and highly reliable. Therefore, it may be a useful method for determining the thermal threshold of the chin.
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