Developing And Testing a Home Quantitative Sensory Testing Tool-Kit – A Pilot Study in Healthy Young Adults

Quantitative sensory testing (QST) is a set of methods for quantifying somatosensory functioning. Limitations of laboratory-based QST (LQST) include high cost, complexity in training, poor portability, and testing time requirements. Translating QST to a home setting could facilitate future research and clinical care. The objective of this study was to develop a home QST (HQST) tool-kit that is safe, easy to use, and detects changes in sensory and pain processing. The HQST tool-kit was developed using inexpensive, portable, and widely available tools that have been tested in adult populations or best mimic LQST equipment. Thirty-two young healthy adults underwent sensory testing on their forearm using standard in-person LQST, followed by “simulated HQST” via video guidance in a separate room from the investigator before and after application of either a lidocaine or capsaicin cream. We observed good agreement between HQST and LQST scores, with significant correlations observed between the pinprick, pressure, cold and heat measures (|rho| range = 0.36-0.54). The participants rated the HQST protocol as highly acceptable and safe. Qualitative analyses of participants’ comments revealed that the current HQST protocol appears useful, but requires improvement before future implementations. HQST was able to detect hypoesthesia to vibration after lidocaine cream application (p = 0.024), and could detect hypo- and hyperalgesia to pressure and heat pain sensitivity tests after application of lidocaine and capsaicin creams, respectively (p-value range = <0.001-0.036). Despite limitations, HQST tool-kits may become a cost-effective, convenient, and scalable approach for improving sensory profiling in clinical care and clinical research.