• Nicola Biggs, Deirdre M Walsh, and Mark I Johnson.
• Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, UK.
• Neuromodulation. 2012 Mar 1;15(2):93-8; discussion 98-9.

ObjectivesNon-invasive interactive neurostimulation (InterX(®)) delivers high amplitude electrical pulsed currents at points of low impedance on the skin. This study compared the hypoalgesic effect of non-invasive interactive neurostimulation with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).Materials And MethodsA repeated measures parallel group study on healthy human volunteers randomized to receive strong non-painful TENS or non-invasive interactive neurostimulation for 21 min on the forearm (N= 10/group). Pressure algometry was used to determine blunt pressure pain threshold at baseline, 10, and 20 min during stimulation, and 5 min post stimulation.ResultsLow impedance sites were found in half of the participants receiving non-invasive interactive neurostimulation. ANOVA found no effects for intervention (p= 0.923), time × intervention interaction (p= 0.21), or time (p= 0.094).ConclusionsGiven the limited power of this study, we show that there were no significant differences in hypoalgesia between non-invasive interactive neurostimulation and TENS. Unlike our previous studies we also failed to detect a change pain threshold during TENS. Nevertheless, our findings can be used to inform the design of an appropriately powered study on pain patients.© 2011 International Neuromodulation Society.

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