Clinical implementation of two quantitative Sensory Tests: Cold Stress Test and the Ten Test

Accurate assessment of pain or sensory function in clinical practice is challenging. Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) is a standardized approach to measuring pain and sensory thresholds or tolerances as a means of assessing the functionality of neural pathways from the receptors along the afferent fibers to the brains. This paper reviews two simple QST techniques potentially useful to clinical practice: the Cold Stress Test and Ten Test. The background, evidence for clinical measurement properties and feasibility issues are considered.