Table 6 Summary of the meta-analysis results
Measurement | Location | Effect size and 95%CI | p value | Magnitude of effect size | Heterogeneity | Quality of evidence based on GRADE assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cold detection threshold (adults) | Affected | SMD, − 0.66; 95% CI, − 0.93, − 0.39 | p < 0.01 | Medium | I2 = 60%; p = 0.01 | Low-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, − 0.32; 95% CI, − 0.58, − 0.05 | p = 0.02 | Small | I2 = 59%; p = 0.01 | Low-quality evidence | |
Warm detection threshold (adults) | Affected | SMD, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.22, 0.73 | p < 0.01 | Small | I2 = 57%; p = 0.02 | Low-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.06, 0.55 | p = 0.01 | Small | I2 = 51%; p = 0.03 | Low-quality evidence | |
Thermal sensory limen (adults) | Affected | SMD, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.62, 1.29 | p < 0.01 | Large | I2 = 65%; p = 0.02 | Low-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.40, 0.83 | p < 0.01 | Medium | I2 = 48%; p = 0.06 | Low-quality evidence | |
Mechanical detection threshold (adults) | Affected | SMD, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.03, 0.40 | p = 0.02 | Small | I2 = 0%; p = 0.63 | Low-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.14, 0.53 | p = 0.01 | Small | I2 = 1%; p = 0.41 | Low-quality evidence | |
Vibration detection threshold (adults) | Affected | SMD, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.17, 0.72 | p < 0.02 | Small | I2 = 31%; p = 0.2 | Moderate-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.09, 0.52 | P < 0.01 | Small | I2 = 6%; p = 0.38 | Moderate-quality evidence | |
Cold pain threshold (adults) | Affected | SMD, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.41, 1.10 | p < 0.01 | Medium | I2 = 72%; p < 0.01 | Low-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.19, 0.53 | p < 0.01 | Small | I2 = 7%; p = 0.38 | Moderate-quality evidence | |
Heat pain threshold (adults) | Affected | SMD, − 0.41; 95% CI, − 0.63, − 0.20 | p < 0.01 | Small | I2 = 45%; p = 0.05 | Moderate-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, − 0.30; 95% CI, − 0.46, − 0.15 | P < 0.01 | Small | I2 = 0%; p = 0.49 | Moderate-quality evidence | |
Mechanical pain threshold (adults) | Affected | SMD, − 3.66; 95% CI, − 5.95, − 1.37 | p = 0.01 | Large | I2 = 98%; p < 0.01 | Very low-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, 0.08; 95% CI, − 0.37, 0.52 | p = 0.74 | Negligible difference | I2 = 0%; p = 0.36 | Low-quality evidence | |
Muscle pressure pain threshold (adults) | Affected | SMD, − 1.41; 95% CI, − 1.68, − 1.14 | p < 0.01 | Large | I2 = 52%; p = 0.03 | Low-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, − 0.38; 95% CI, − 0.69, − 0.07 | p = 0.02 | Small | I2 = 84%; p < 0.01 | Low-quality evidence | |
Joint pressure pain threshold (adults) | Affected | SMD, − 2.92; 95% CI, − 3.47, − 2.37 | p < 0.01 | Large | I2 = 0%; p = 0.97 | Moderate-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, − 0.54; 95% CI, − 1.93, 0.86 | p = 0.45 | Medium | I2 = 92%; p < 0.01 | Low-quality evidence | |
Mechanical pain sensitivity (adults) | Affected | SMD, 0.59;95% CI, 0.27, 0.9 | p = 0.02 | Medium | I2 = 41%; p = 0.15 | Low-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, 0.35; 95% CI, − 0.23, 0.93 | p = 0.24 | Small | I2 = 77%; p < 0.02 | Very low-quality evidence | |
Wind up ratio (adults) | Affected | SMD, 0.2; 95% CI, − 0.17, 0.56 | p = 0.30 | Small | I2 = 66%; p = 0.01 | Low-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, 0.38; 95% CI, − 0.38, 1.13 | p = 0.33 | Small | I2 = 60%; p = 0.11 | Low-quality evidence | |
Pain ratings (adults) | Affected | SMD, 1.29;95% CI, 0.67, 1.91 | p < 0.01 | Large | I2 = 68%; p < 0.01 | Low-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, 0.85;95% CI, 0.48, 1.22 | p < 0.01 | Large | I2 = 0%; p = 0.59 | Low-quality evidence | |
Area after pinprick hyperalgesia (adults) | Affected | SMD, 3.15;95% CI, 2.13, 4.16 | p = 0.01 | Large | I2 = 54%; p = 0.14 | Low-quality evidence |
Level of pleasantness (adults) | Affected | SMD, − 0.97; 95% CI, − 1.51, − 0.44 | p = 0.03 | Large | I2 = 0%; p = 0.99 | Moderate-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, − 0.52; 95% CI, − 1.44, 0.41 | p = 0.27 | Medium | I2 = 67%; p = 0.08 | Low-quality evidence | |
Cold detection threshold (children) | Affected | SMD, − 0.85; 95% CI, − 1.62, − 0.08 | p = 0.03 | Large | I2 = 85%; p = 0.01 | Low-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, − 0.48; 95% CI, − 1.93, 0.97 | p = 0.52 | Small | I2 = 96%; p < 0.01 | Low-quality evidence | |
Warm detection threshold (children) | Affected | SMD, 0.82; 95% CI, − 0.66, 2.29) | p = 0.28 | Large | I2 = 96%; p < 0.01 | Low-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, 0.82; 95% CI, − 0.59, − 1.05 | p = 0.48 | Large | I2 = 97%; p < 0.01 | Low-quality evidence | |
Cold pain threshold (children) | Affected | SMD, 1.23;95% CI, 0.05, 2.41 | p = 0.04 | Large | I2 = 93%; p < 0.01 | Low-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, − 0.06; 95% CI, − 0.33, 0.22 | p = 0.67 | Negligible difference | I2 = 0%; p = 56 | Low-quality evidence | |
Heat pain threshold (children) | Affected | SMD, − 0.05; 95% CI, − 1.09, 0.99 | p = 0.92 | Negligible difference | I2 = 93%; p < 0.01 | Low-quality evidence |
Remote | SMD, 0.67; 95% CI, − 1.68, 3.02 | p = 0.58 | Medium | I2 = 98%; p < 0.01 | Low-quality evidence |