Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25992576›Full record

ArticlePloS one2015

Multimodal distribution of human cold pain thresholds.

Jörn Lötsch, Violeta Dimova, Isabel Lieb, Michael Zimmermann, Bruno G Oertel, Alfred Ultsch

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

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  8. Methods Used to Evaluate Pain Behaviors in Rodents.Frontiers in molecular neuroscience · 2017
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Jörn LötschInstitute of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe-University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Project Group Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Violeta DimovaInstitute of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe-University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Isabel LiebInstitute of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe-University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Michael ZimmermannDepartment of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Bruno G OertelInstitute of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe-University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Project Group Translational Medicine and Pharmacology TMP, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60596, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Alfred UltschDataBionics Research Group, University of Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Straße, 35032, Marburg, Germany.
Goethe University Frankfurt · DEUniversity Hospital Frankfurt · DEFraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology · DEPhilipps University of Marburg · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIt is assumed that different pain phenotypes are based on varying molecular pathomechanisms. Distinct ion channels seem to be associated with the perception of cold pain, in particular TRPM8 and TRPA1 have been highlighted previously. The present study analyzed the distribution of cold pain thresholds with focus at describing the multimodality based on the hypothesis that it reflects a contribution of distinct ion channels.

methodsCold pain thresholds (CPT) were available from 329 healthy volunteers (aged 18 - 37 years; 159 men) enrolled in previous studies. The distribution of the pooled and log-transformed threshold data was described using a kernel density estimation (Pareto Density Estimation (PDE)) and subsequently, the log data was modeled as a mixture of Gaussian distributions using the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm to optimize the fit.

resultsCPTs were clearly multi-modally distributed. Fitting a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) to the log-transformed threshold data revealed that the best fit is obtained when applying a three-model distribution pattern. The modes of the identified three Gaussian distributions, retransformed from the log domain to the mean stimulation temperatures at which the subjects had indicated pain thresholds, were obtained at 23.7 °C, 13.2 °C and 1.5 °C for Gaussian #1, #2 and #3, respectively.

conclusionsThe localization of the first and second Gaussians was interpreted as reflecting the contribution of two different cold sensors. From the calculated localization of the modes of the first two Gaussians, the hypothesis of an involvement of TRPM8, sensing temperatures from 25 - 24 °C, and TRPA1, sensing cold from 17 °C can be derived. In that case, subjects belonging to either Gaussian would possess a dominance of the one or the other receptor at the skin area where the cold stimuli had been applied. The findings therefore support a suitability of complex analytical approaches to detect mechanistically determined patterns from pain phenotype data.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultCalcium ChannelsCold TemperatureFemaleHumansMaleNerve Tissue ProteinsPain ThresholdSkinThermosensingTransient Receptor Potential ChannelsTRPA1 Cation ChannelTRPM Cation ChannelsYoung AdultCalcium ChannelsNerve Tissue ProteinsTransient Receptor Potential ChannelsTRPA1 Cation ChannelTRPA1 protein, humanTRPM8 protein, humanTRPM Cation Channels

Identifiers

PMID25992576
PMCPMC4439151
OpenAlexW1500728869

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.