Rieb L, Pomeranz B
Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Phys Ther. 1992 Sep;72(9):658-67. doi: 10.1093/ptj/72.9.658.
Acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (ALTENS) was compared with a placebo treatment in altering acute electrical pain thresholds. Ten pain-free subjects underwent, on different days, an acclimatization session, an ALTENS treatment, and a placebo treatment in a cross-over design. Electrical sensation and pain thresholds were measured from the tip of the index finger bilaterally at 15-minute intervals twice before, once during, and three times after a 30-minute treatment session. The ALTENS treatment was given at 4 Hz at an intensity just below pain threshold delivered to acupuncture points in the hand and wrist. The placebo treatment was similarly delivered, except that the intensity of stimulation was just above sensation threshold. Neither the ALTENS treatment nor the placebo treatment produced a significant change in pain threshold. There was no correlation between initial pain threshold and change in pain threshold. Implications for the modulation of pain are discussed.
在改变急性电痛阈值方面，将针刺样经皮电神经刺激（ALTENS）与安慰剂治疗进行了比较。10名无痛受试者在不同日期接受了适应期、ALTENS治疗和安慰剂治疗，采用交叉设计。在30分钟治疗期之前两次、治疗期间一次以及治疗后三次，每隔15分钟从双侧食指尖测量电感觉和痛阈。ALTENS治疗以4赫兹的频率进行，强度略低于疼痛阈值，施加于手部和腕部的穴位。安慰剂治疗的实施方式类似，只是刺激强度略高于感觉阈值。ALTENS治疗和安慰剂治疗均未使痛阈产生显著变化。初始痛阈与痛阈变化之间无相关性。文中讨论了对疼痛调制的意义。
