Unreliability of the Visual Analog Scale in Experimental Pain Assessment: A Sensitivity and Evoked Potentials Study

摘要

Pain is a universal but subjective experience, making it difficult to obtain objective information about the experiential dimensions of pain. Although the visual analog scale (VAS) is ubiquitously used in pain assessment, its reliability has been questioned. The properties of this rating scale, especially its anchor points likely to be reinterpreted by subjects, may bias the results.