Application of syringe-based device for pressure pain threshold measurements under autoalgometry settings

Background: Pressure pain threshold (PPT) is commonly assessed using pressure algometry. Self-administered algometry could reduce examiner involvement and may facilitate repeated assessment outside specialist settings. Objective: To examine the concurrent agreement of a previously described syringe-based pneumatic algometer with a commercially available comparator during self-administered PPT measurement in healthy adults. Methods: Thirty healthy volunteers completed researcher-administered and self-administered pain threshold measurements utilizing an AMF-500 device and the syringe-based pneumatic algometer. Results: During self-administration, measurements from the two devices were strongly correlated (r = 0.82, p < 0.05); the mean paired difference was 6.01 N (95% CI, -0.58 to 12.59 N). Self-administered test values were lower than researcher-administered test values in the fixed-order comparison (p = 0.0029). Conclusion: According to our findings the proposed device is a valid tool for autoalgometry and may potentially be introduced as an element of routine self-assessment of PPT.