Objective: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), the most common nerve entrapment, is increasingly linked to changes in pain processing, including central sensitization (CS). However, how CS measures relate to tests such as sonography and electrodiagnostic studies (EDX) remains unclear.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 60 patients with clinically and electrodiagnostically confirmed CTS and 20 healthy controls. Pain sensitization was evaluated using the pressure pain threshold (PPT) at four anatomical sites, and the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI). Sonographic assessments captured median nerve cross-sectional area (CSA), ΔCSA values, thenar muscle thickness, and nerve echogenicity. Mixed-effects models were used for repeated-site measures (PPT and CSA/Δ), and sex-adjusted ANCOVA was used to analyse single-site outcomes. Pearson correlations were used to assess relationships among sensitization measures, sonographic findings, and EDX parameters.
Results: CTS patients had lower PPT values at all sites and higher CSI scores than controls (p < .05). Mixed-effects modelling confirmed reduced PPT and greater, site-dependent CSA enlargement in CTS. PPT at the carpal tunnel and thenar region correlated negatively with CSAmax and CSAinlet, and positively with motor amplitude. CSI correlated positively with functional disability and neuropathic pain features, but not with pain intensity. Sensitization parameters did not differ across CTS severity grades.
Conclusion: This study shows that objective structural and electrophysiological markers are associated with central pain processes that contribute to the pathophysiology of CTS. These results underline the importance of assessing CTS through multiple dimensions, including structural and functional nerve changes and pain sensitization.
扫码关注我们
求助内容:
应助结果提醒方式:
