The validation of visual analogue scales as ratio scale measures for chronic and experimental pain

Price, Donald D.; McGrath, Patricia A.; Rafii, Amir; Buckingham, Barbara

doi:10.1016/0304-3959(83)90126-4

Cited by 3,921Pain Mechanisms and TreatmentsPain Management and Opioid UsePain Management and Treatment

The validation of visual analogue scales as ratio scale measures for chronic and experimental pain

Price, Donald D., McGrath, Patricia A., Rafii, Amir, Buckingham, Barbara·1983·Pain

DOI 10.1016/0304-3959(83)90126-4

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Abstract

Visual analogue scales (VAS) of sensory intensity and affective magnitude were validated as ratio scale measures for both chronic and experimental pain. Chronic pain patients and healthy volunteers made VAS sensory and affective responses to 6 noxious thermal stimuli (43, 45, 47, 48, 49 and 51 degrees C) applied for 5 sec to the forearm by a contact thermode. Sensory VAS and affective VAS responses to these temperatures yielded power functions with exponents 2.1 and 3.8, respectively; these functions were similar for pain patients and for volunteers. The power functions were predictive of estimated ratios of sensation or affect produced by pairs of standard temperatures (e.g. 47 and 49 degrees C), thereby providing direct evidence for ratio scaling properties of VAS. Vas sensory intensity responses to experimental pain, VAS sensory intensity responses to different levels of chronic pain, and direct temperature (experimental pain) matches to 3 levels of chronic pain were all internally consistent, thereby demonstrating the valid use of VAS for the measurement of and comparison between chronic pain and experimental heat pain.

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Pain reports have served as the gold standard measure of pain in clinical settings and experimental studies.
“Pain reports have served as the gold standard measure of pain in clinical settings and experimental studies [64],[65],[78].”
From Distinct Brain Systems Mediate the Effects of Nociceptive Input and Self-Regulation on Pain (2015) · cites this paper as [64]

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Authors: Price, D. D., McGrath, P. A., Rafii, A., & Buckingham, B.
Affiliations: Western University (CA)
Corresponding author: McGrath, Patricia A.
ORCID: Price, Donald D.
Venue: Pain
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Published: 1983-09
Volume: 17
Issue: 1
Pages: 45-56
ISSN: 0304-3959 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/0304-3959(83)90126-4
OpenAlex: W1994143652
Cited by: 3,921
References: 32
Citations by year: 2026: 177 · 2025: 195 · 2024: 186 · 2023: 177 · 2022: 172 · 2021: 192 · 2020: 238 · 2019: 158 · 2018: 152 · 2017: 160 · 2016: 154 · 2015: 167 · 2014: 137 · 2013: 152 · 2012: 141
FWCI: 11.96
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Pain (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Opioid Use
Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Treatment
Keywords: visual analogue scale, chronic pain, experimental pain, thermal pain, sensory intensity, affective pain, power function, pain measurement validity
MeSH terms: Adult, Affect, Aged, Back Pain, Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Prognosis, Sensory Thresholds, Sick Role, Acupuncture Therapy

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The validation of visual analogue scales as ratio scale measures for chronic and experimental pain

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