REVIEW article
Front. Pain Res.
Sec. Veterinary and Comparative Pain
This article is part of the Research TopicNeuroplasticity and Sensitization Across SpeciesView all 3 articles
Translational validity of quantitative sensory testing (QST) in chronic pain neuro-sensitization: Guide of use and interpretation in osteoarthritis animal models
Provisionally accepted
Marilyn FrézierAliénor DelsartManuela Lefort-HloguinSarah Lachapelle
Colombe Otis
Bertrand LussierHélène Beaudry
Aude M.H Castel
Eric Troncy*- Université de Montréal, Groupe de Recherche en Pharmacologie Animale du Québec (GREPAQ), Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Chronic osteoarthritis (OA) pain is a complex nociplastic condition that affects humans, as well as cats and dogs. This review summarizes the physiology of pain in healthy individuals, the physiopathology of OA pain, and the use of quantitative sensory testing (QST) to objectively assess somatosensory sensitization associated with chronic OA pain. It discusses the translation of human OA pain phenotype profiles to animals, the management of neuro-sensitization with currently prescribed treatments, and complementary methods for evaluating neuro-sensitization, such as electrodiagnostic testing. Additionally, this review serves as a practical guide for standardizing QST in rats, cats, and dogs, with explanatory appendices. It was hypothesised that in translational comparison with the human condition, OA-induced rat models and naturally occurring OA in cats and dogs would exhibit similar somatosensory sensitization profiles. As observed in human OA, an imbalance between facilitatory and inhibitory endogenous controls is also evident in animal OA. This dysregulation can be characterised using QST and underlies the distinct nociceptive phenotypes. Confirming and validating OA pain profiles will promote a patient-tailored approach to effectively alleviate neuro-sensitization in humans and animals.
Keywords: Musculoskeletal, CONDITIONED PAIN MODULATION, inhibition, temporalsummation, facilitation, rodent, feline, canine
Received: 19 Sep 2025; Accepted: 24 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Frézier, Delsart, Lefort-Hloguin, Lachapelle, Otis, Lussier, Beaudry, Castel and Troncy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Eric Troncy, eric.troncy@umontreal.ca
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.