Mouraux, Andrévan den Broeke, EmanuelMercken, MurielMurielMerckende Hemptinne, PriscillaPriscillade Hemptinne2025-05-142025-05-142025-05-142020https://hdl.handle.net/2078.2/16235Secondary hyperalgesia refers to an increase in pinprick sensitivity in the area surrounding the site of tissue injury and can also be induced after high frequency electrical stimulation of the skin (HFS). The aim of the present study is to assess if pinprick-evoked brain potentials elicited from the area of HFS-induced secondary hyperalgesia are enhanced when participants have to evaluate the quality and intensity of the pinprick stimuli. In 14 healthy volunteers we applied HFS to the right ventral forearm to induce secondary hyperalgesia. Before applying HFS and 20 minutes after HFS the EEG responses were recorded to thirty pinprick stimuli (64mN) delivered to the skin using a robot-controlled mechanical pinprick stimulator. During pinprick stimulation the quality and intensity of the pinprick stimuli were collected. After HFS, most of the stimuli were perceived as more painful indicating a state of hyperalgesia. There was a significant increase in the magnitude of the early-negative wave and of the latelypositive wave in PEPs. These increases were maximal at electrode Cz and CPz. In conclusion, when a subject is engaged in a stimulus evaluation task during robot-controlled pinprick stimuli, there is a significant enhancement in EEG responses after HFS.central sensitizationpinprick-evocked brain potentialssecondary hyperalgesiatext::thesis::master thesisthesis:23553