Quantitative sensory testing

Quantitative sensory testing
Tuning forks are used to determine vibration detection thresholds.
Specialty	Neurology
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Quantitative sensory testing (QST) is a panel of diagnostic tests used to assess somatosensory function, in the context of research and as a supplemental tool in the diagnosis of somatosensory disorders, including pain insensitivity, painless and painful neuropathy. The panel of tests examine a broad range of different sensations, including hot, cold, touch, vibration. It has both positive and negative tests (can test for increased or reduced sensitivity). QST reflects a formalisation of existing neurological tests into a standardised battery designed to detect subtle changes in sensory function.^[1] Large datasets representing normal responses to sensory tests have been established to quantitate deviation from the mean and allow comparison with normal patients. It is thought that a detailed evaluation of somatosensory function may be useful in identifying subtypes of pain and as a potential tool to identify asymptomatic neuropathy,^[2] which may represent up to 50% of total people with neuropathy (or loss of the nerve fibres). In clinical use, it is often combined with other tests such as clinical electrophysiology.^[3] In research settings it is increasingly applied in combination with advanced imaging such as fMRI, epidermis "nerve" biopsies and microneurography to classify subtypes of painful disorders.^[4]