Tracking of nociceptive thresholds using adaptive psychophysical methods
Tracking of nociceptive thresholds using adaptive psychophysical methods
复制标题
DOI：
10.3758/s13428-013-0368-4
复制
发表时间：
2014-03-01
影响因子：
5.4
通讯作者：
Veltink, Peter H.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Doll, Robert J.;Buitenweg, Jan R.;Veltink, Peter H.
心理物理阈值反映了潜在的伤害性机制的状态。例如，有害事件可以激活内源性镇痛机制，增加伤害性阈值。因此，随着时间的推移跟踪阈值有助于调查这些潜在机制的动态。阈值跟踪技术应该使用有效的方法进行刺激选择和阈值估计。本研究比较，在模拟和人类心理物理学实验中，不同组合的自适应刺激选择程序和阈值估计方法的性能。首先进行Monte Carlo模拟，比较三种不同的刺激选择程序（简单阶梯，随机阶梯，最小熵程序）和两种估计方法（逻辑回归和贝叶斯估计）产生的阈值估计的偏差和精度。Logistic回归和贝叶斯估计只有在适当选择先验概率分布（PD）时才具有相似的精度。最小熵和简单的阶梯程序实现了最高的精度，而随机阶梯程序是最不敏感的不同程序的具体设置。接下来，在一项人类受试者研究（n = 30）中比较了简单阶梯和随机阶梯程序以及逻辑回归。在冷加压任务之前、期间和之后，使用皮肤电刺激来跟踪伤害性知觉阈值，冷加压任务作为条件刺激。这两个程序，习惯化检测，以及由条件刺激引起的变化。然而，随机阶梯程序实现了更高的精度。我们建议使用随机阶梯简单的阶梯程序，结合逻辑回归，非平稳阈值跟踪实验。
Psychophysical thresholds reflect the state of the underlying nociceptive mechanisms. For example, noxious events can activate endogenous analgesic mechanisms that increase the nociceptive threshold. Therefore, tracking thresholds over time facilitates the investigation of the dynamics of these underlying mechanisms. Threshold tracking techniques should use efficient methods for stimulus selection and threshold estimation. This study compares, in simulation and in human psychophysical experiments, the performance of different combinations of adaptive stimulus selection procedures and threshold estimation methods. Monte Carlo simulations were first performed to compare the bias and precision of threshold estimates produced by three different stimulus selection procedures (simple staircase, random staircase, and minimum entropy procedure) and two estimation methods (logistic regression and Bayesian estimation). Logistic regression and Bayesian estimations resulted in similar precision only when the prior probability distributions (PDs) were chosen appropriately. The minimum entropy and simple staircase procedures achieved the highest precision, while the random staircase procedure was the least sensitive to different procedure-specific settings. Next, the simple staircase and random staircase procedures, in combination with logistic regression, were compared in a human subject study (n = 30). Electrocutaneous stimulation was used to track the nociceptive perception threshold before, during, and after a cold pressor task, which served as the conditioning stimulus. With both procedures, habituation was detected, as well as changes induced by the conditioning stimulus. However, the random staircase procedure achieved a higher precision. We recommend using the random staircase over the simple staircase procedure, in combination with logistic regression, for nonstationary threshold tracking experiments.