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Abstract
The medullary R2 response of the blink reflex can be elicited by innocuous and noxious
stimuli. The purpose of this study was to elicit a nociception specific R2 response
with a new surface electrode.
In 10 healthy subjects the blink reflex was elicited using a standard (10-15 mA) and
a new concentric surface electrode type (0.6-1.6 mA) which produces a pin-prick-like
pain.
After topical local anaesthesia with lignocaine/prilocaine R1 was unchanged, R2 was
attenuated by 12% after standard stimulation but was almost abolished (-91%) with
the new electrode type.
Stimulation with low stimulus intensities but electrode-dependent high current density
allows preferential depolarization of superficial nociceptive A-delta fibres. This
new method is less traumatic than others and is useful in the study of trigeminal
nociception.