TY - JOUR
T1 - The applicability of the digit wrinkle scan to quantify sympathetic nerve function
AU - Sopacua, Maurice
AU - Gorissen-Brouwers, Carla M L
AU - de Greef, Bianca T A
AU - Joosten, Isis B T
AU - Faber, Catharina G
AU - Merkies, Ingemar S J
AU - Hoeijmakers, Janneke G J
N1 - © 2022 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Objective: Stimulated skin wrinkling test (SSW) has been launched as a non-invasive diagnostic procedure. However, no normative age dependent values have been reported that can be applied in clinical practice. The objectives of the study were to (1) collect age-dependent normative values according to the 5-point scale assessment for the SSW, to (2) determine reliability scores for the obtained norm values, and to (3) introduce a new digital method for SSW assessment, the Digit Wrinkle Scan© (DWS©) for detection of wrinkles in a more quantitative manner.Methods: Firstly, 82 healthy participants were included, divided in 5 age groups. The participants underwent SSW using lidocaine and prilocaine topical cream. Secondly, 35 healthy participants were included to test whether the DWS© could be a novel manner to assess the grade of wrinkling quantitatively. We determined the inter-observer reliability of both methods. Also, the intra-observer reliability was calculated for the DWS©.Results: We found a decrease in normative values over age. The inter-observer reliability of assessment by the 5-point scale method was moderate after SSW (Cohen's k: 0.53). Results of the DWS© indicate that total wrinkle length per mm2 showed moderate to good agreement for the 4th and 5th digits after SSW, and a low agreement for the other digits.Conclusions: Age-dependent normative values were obtained according to the 5-point scale, but its clinical application is doubtful since we found a moderate inter-observer reliability. We introduced the DWS© as a possible new method in order to quantify the grade of wrinkling.Significance: We found unsatisfactory reliability scores, which hampers its usefulness for clinical practice.
AB - Objective: Stimulated skin wrinkling test (SSW) has been launched as a non-invasive diagnostic procedure. However, no normative age dependent values have been reported that can be applied in clinical practice. The objectives of the study were to (1) collect age-dependent normative values according to the 5-point scale assessment for the SSW, to (2) determine reliability scores for the obtained norm values, and to (3) introduce a new digital method for SSW assessment, the Digit Wrinkle Scan© (DWS©) for detection of wrinkles in a more quantitative manner.Methods: Firstly, 82 healthy participants were included, divided in 5 age groups. The participants underwent SSW using lidocaine and prilocaine topical cream. Secondly, 35 healthy participants were included to test whether the DWS© could be a novel manner to assess the grade of wrinkling quantitatively. We determined the inter-observer reliability of both methods. Also, the intra-observer reliability was calculated for the DWS©.Results: We found a decrease in normative values over age. The inter-observer reliability of assessment by the 5-point scale method was moderate after SSW (Cohen's k: 0.53). Results of the DWS© indicate that total wrinkle length per mm2 showed moderate to good agreement for the 4th and 5th digits after SSW, and a low agreement for the other digits.Conclusions: Age-dependent normative values were obtained according to the 5-point scale, but its clinical application is doubtful since we found a moderate inter-observer reliability. We introduced the DWS© as a possible new method in order to quantify the grade of wrinkling.Significance: We found unsatisfactory reliability scores, which hampers its usefulness for clinical practice.
KW - 5-point scale
KW - Digit wrinkle scan
KW - Small fiber neuropathy
KW - Autonomic function
KW - Digit vasoconstriction
KW - Inter-observer reliability
KW - SMALL FIBER NEUROPATHY
KW - DIAGNOSTIC-CRITERIA
KW - WATER IMMERSION
KW - INDICATOR
KW - DENSITY
U2 - 10.1016/j.cnp.2022.03.005
DO - 10.1016/j.cnp.2022.03.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 35434427
SN - 2467-981X
VL - 7
SP - 115
EP - 119
JO - Clinical Neurophysiology Practice
JF - Clinical Neurophysiology Practice
ER -