Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 10, 2026

An Alternative to the Traditional Cold Pressor Test: The Cold Pressor Arm Wrap
Published on: January 16, 2014
Cold Pressor Pain Response in Children With Cancer
Brooke N Jenkins1,2, Ryan J Roemer2,3, Ariana Martinez2,4
1Department of Psychology, Chapman University.
Insights
Pediatric cancer patients
Area of Science:
- Pediatric oncology
- Pain research
- Clinical psychology
Background:
- Pediatric cancer patients experience significant pain during treatment.
- Understanding pain responses is crucial for effective symptom management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate pain responses in children and adolescents undergoing cancer treatment.
- To explore the influence of cancer treatment type on pain experience.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-eight pediatric patients (ages 6-18) with cancer participated.
- The cold pressor task was used to experimentally induce pain.
- Pain tolerance and severity were measured using established scales.
Main Results:
- Children reported average pain severity scores between 5.07 and 5.94.
- Average pain tolerance was 118.22 seconds, with 40% reaching the 4-minute limit.
- Patients receiving chemotherapy with potential neuropathic effects showed higher pain tolerance (P=0.027).
Conclusions:
- This study offers valuable data on experimental pain in pediatric cancer patients.
- Cancer treatment modality may significantly moderate pain perception and tolerance.
Objective:
The goal of this study was to examine pain responses in pediatric patients with cancer.
Method:
Children (ages 6 to 18) undergoing treatment for cancer (N=68) completed the cold pressor task.
Results:
Average pain tolerance was 118.22 seconds (SD=101.18) and 40% of the children kept their hand in the water the entire 4-minute ceiling. On a 0 to 10 numeric rating scale, children reported a pain severity of 5.07 (SD=3.47) at their first report of pain, a pain severity of 5.94 (SD=3.54) at their maximum report of pain, and a pain severity of 5.33 (SD=3.72) at the time they reached pain tolerance. Children receiving chemotherapy agents (N=56) with possible neuropathic effects exhibited higher pain tolerance compared with children not receiving such treatments (N=10), β=0.84, SE=0.38, Wald χ1=4.88, P=0.027, hazard ratio=2.33, 95% confidence interval (1.10-4.92).
Conclusions:
This study provides data on experimental pain responses in a sample of children undergoing cancer treatment and suggests that pain experience may be moderated by cancer treatment type.
Related Concept Videos
Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
Cold Weather Concreting
To counteract the negative impacts of cold weather, ensuring...
Pain
Masonry in Cold and Hot Weather Conditions
Other key practices include keeping masonry units...
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children
Analgesia and Pain Management

