Adaptation of a novel operant orofacial testing system to characterize both mechanical and thermal pain

Abstract

Mechanical pain sensitivity is characteristic of many orofacial pain conditions; however, few models exist to quantify this pain. Here we evaluated a novel adaptation of our existing operant system to characterize orofacial pain following mechanical and thermal stimuli. We demonstrate that the operant system is able to detect painful and analgesic responses to mechanical stimuli. These findings allow comparison of both mechanical and thermal stimuli using the same outcome measures.