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Science 23 March 1973:
Vol. 179. no. 4079, pp. 1246 - 1248
DOI: 10.1126/science.179.4079.1246
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Articles

Analgesic Strength of 33 Percent Nitrous Oxide: A Signal Detection Theory Evaluation

C. Richard Chapman 1, Terence M. Murphy 1, and Steven H. Butler 1

1 Anesthesia Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle 98195

Radiant heat stimulation was applied to volunteers and rating scale responses were obtained to assess the analgesic properties of 33 percent nitrous oxide. The methodology of signal detection theory was applied to the data to demonstrate that nitrous oxide reduces both sensitivity to pain and willingness to report pain. This method is superior to threshold estimation for the evaluation of analgesics.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Staircase Assessment of the Magnitude and Time-course of 50% Nitrous-oxide Analgesia.
E. Kaufman, D.C. Chastain, A.M. Gaughan, and R.H. Gracely (1992)
Journal of Dental Research 71, 1598-1603
   Abstract »    PDF »
Clinical Science Nitrous Oxide Analgesia: A Psychophysical Evaluation Using Verbal Descriptor Scaling.
M.W. Heft, R.H. Gracely, and R. Dubner (1984)
Journal of Dental Research 63, 129-132
   Abstract »    PDF »
Acupunctural Analgesia? Evaluation by Signal Detection Theory.
W. C. Clark and J. C. Yang (1974)
Science 184, 1096-1098
   Abstract »    PDF »


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)