The Relationship Between Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scores and Sensory Testing in Axial Spondyloarthritis

Axial spondyloarthritis is one of the most common rheumatic diseases and chronic pain and morning stiffness are the main complaints of these patients. Central sensitization is defined as increased response to normal or sub-threshold stimuli of central nervous system and its close relationship with many rheumatological diseases has been demonstrated in several studies. There is no method for the diagnosis of central sensitization is accepted as a gold standard. The clinical scales and quantitative sensory testing (QST) widely is used for this purpose widely. The most commonly used QST types include pressure pain threshold (PPT), temporal summation (TS) and conditioned pain modulation (CPM). The well-known scale used for the evaluation of central sensitization is the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) , developed in 2011 for detect central sensitization in chronic pain patients. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between QST and CSI and sacroiliac MRI changes.