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Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Electrophysiological Methods to Assess Peripheral Pain Block in an Anesthetized Rat
Published on: November 21, 2025
Effects of continuous vs. intermittent transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the auriculotemporal nerve on
Mauro Barone1, Lucía Guli1, Jazmín Centurión1
1Musculoskeletal Research Unit, University Center for Assistance, Teaching and Research, University of Gran Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
Objective:
To compare the effects of two transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TES) patterns applied to the auricular branches of the auriculotemporal nerve on nociceptive processing.
Methods:
Twelve asymptomatic volunteers received continuous-pattern and intermittent-pattern TES in a randomized crossover design. Each intervention was applied for 30 minutes, with a 72-hour washout period. Pressure pain threshold, temporal summation of pain, and conditioned pain modulation were assessed before and after each session.
Results:
Between-condition differences were small, with adjusted mean differences close to zero and wide 95% confidence intervals (e.g. PPT left TMJ: 0.18 kg/cm2, 95% CI - 0.52 to 1.20), indicating inconclusive results due to limited statistical power.
Conclusion:
In this pilot crossover study, no clear between-intervention differences were detected. The findings should be interpreted as inconclusive and do not support claims of equivalence between continuous and intermittent TES.
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