engleski

Oral sensory thresholds to galvanic and sinusoidal constant current stimulation

Experimental oral mucosal sensibility has been the interest of only few studies, in spite of the fact that the orofacial region represents the most common pain site of the body. The aim of this investigation was to establish the oral mucosal sensibility pattern to galvanic (i.e. DC) and to sinusoidal constant current stimulation (frequency range 20 Hz-5 kHz). In this study we measured sensory thresholds of oral mucosa in 20 young healthy volunteers (females, mean age). Measurements of sensory thresholds assessed by galvanic stimulation were performed on 15 oral regions. For producing measurable stimuli, dental iontophoretic apparatus was used. Current intensities that reached the sensory threshold ranged from 0.1 mA to 8.5 mA. Subsequently, other measurements were performed on the most (tongue tip) and the least sensitive (buccal mucosa) oral regions, according to galvanic stimulation results. These measurements were performed using sinusoidal constant current stimulation in the frequency range 20 Hz-3 kHz. Oral sensory thresholds to sinusoidal current were from 0.013 to 3.7 mA, depending on the frequency used and the region tested. In both regions, however, sensory threshold increases as frequencies increase. Smaller standard errors were found when lower frequencies were used on both regions. Galvanic current stimulation seems to be a suitable method for oral sensory testing, but sinusoidal current seems to be more reliable and reproducible, and obtained results promise new advances in underinvestigated oral mucosal sensory function.

sensory thresholds ; iontophoresis ; galvanic stimulation

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