Method and apparatus for determining the thermal sensitivity of the human peripheral nervous system

To determine the heat or cold sensation or pain threshold of a human being, a thermode is applied to the skin of the subject under investigation, and the temperature is varied until the subject feels pain. This pain threshold temperature is maintained for a predetermined period of time and then the subject is requested to adjust the temperature until the same sensation is felt. The pain threshold temperature values obtained by this "tonic" method may be verified or improved by a "phasic" method of applying thermal stimuli, wherein pulse-type thermal stimuli are applied with randomly varying spacings and with temperatures which vary randomly about the pain threshold temperature established by the tonic method.