Quantitative sensory examination in diabetic children: assessment of thermal discrimination

Vibration perception thresholds (VPTs) and thermal discrimination thresholds (TDTs) were investigated in 55 insulin-dependent diabetic children aged 11.3 +/- 3.9 years (mean +/- SD) and in 81 controls. There was no significant difference in VPTs between the two groups. TDTs were significantly higher in the group of diabetic children (p less than 0.03). Eight diabetic children had abnormal thermal sensation and one child had abnormal vibratory sensation. TDT correlated positively with duration of diabetes mellitus (r = 0.25; p less than 0.05). Both investigations can be carried out easily and are unobtrusive, which is an important advantage in the examination of children.