Departments of Biophysics and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic, Gaziantep State Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey.
Neuromodulation. 2003 Oct;6(4):229-36. doi: 10.1046/j.1525-1403.2003.03030.x.
Objective. The outcomes of different modes of TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) in relieving experimental heat and cold pain were studied. Materials and methods. Three modes of stimulation, conventional, burst, and high rate frequency modulation (HRFM) including placebo, were trancutaneously applied to 20 right handed healthy volunteers (10 males and 10 females). Stimulation was carried out using two pad electrodes placed over the median nerve for 120 s in each case. Heat pain was induced to the right and left hands of each subject by means of a hot water bath and cold pain by means of frozen bottles. Pain scores based on Verbal Rating Scale (VRS) were recorded at 60 s intervals before, during, and after stimulation. Results. All stimulation modes except placebo decreased VRS values down to statistically significant levels in each case (p < 0.05). HRFM was the most effective mode of TENS causing a decrease of 53.1% to perception of heat pain during its application and 43.8% after HRFM in the right hand. In the left hand, these values were recorded as 46.8% and 40.3%, respectively. HRFM also decreased the perception of cold pain by 47.2% during stimulation and 44.5% after stimulation in the right hand. In the left hand, cold pain scores were reduced by 52.8% and 45.1%, respectively. There were no statistically significant sexual differences and no recorded statistically significant difference between the right or left sided stimulation. Conclusions. All modes of stimulation statistically decreased both heat and cold pain when compared to placebo. HRFM was the most effective mode of TENS. It might be worthwhile to test the patterns of stimulation in chronic pain patients.
目的。研究不同模式经皮电神经刺激（TENS）缓解实验性冷热痛的效果。
材料与方法。将传统、爆发和高频调制（HRFM）三种刺激模式（包括安慰剂）经皮应用于 20 名右利手健康志愿者（10 名男性和 10 名女性）。在每种情况下，使用两个电极片放置在正中神经上来进行 120 秒的刺激。通过热水浴和冷冻瓶分别对每个受试者的右手和左手产生热痛和冷痛。在刺激前、刺激中和刺激后每隔 60 秒记录基于视觉模拟评分（VRS）的疼痛评分。
结果。除安慰剂外，所有刺激模式在每种情况下均使 VRS 值降低到具有统计学意义的水平（p<0.05）。HRFM 是 TENS 最有效的模式，在应用期间使右手的热痛感知降低了 53.1%，在应用 HRFM 后降低了 43.8%。在左手，这些值分别为 46.8%和 40.3%。HRFM 还在刺激期间使右手的冷痛感知降低了 47.2%，在刺激后降低了 44.5%。在左手，冷痛评分分别降低了 52.8%和 45.1%。在右侧或左侧刺激之间没有记录到统计学上显著的性别差异，也没有记录到统计学上显著的差异。
结论。与安慰剂相比，所有刺激模式均使热痛和冷痛的感知显著降低。HRFM 是 TENS 最有效的模式。在慢性疼痛患者中测试刺激模式可能是值得的。
