The panel of tests examine a broad range of different sensations, including hot, cold, touch, vibration.

QST reflects a formalisation of existing neurological tests into a standardised battery designed to detect subtle changes in sensory function.

[3] In research settings it is increasingly applied in combination with advanced imaging such as fMRI, epidermis "nerve" biopsies and microneurography to classify subtypes of painful disorders.

[4] The Neuropathic Pain Special Interest Group (NeuPSIG) of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) have recommended the clinical use of QST in the diagnosis and evaluation of patients with small and large fibre neuropathy as well as screening for deficits of the somatosensory system (which may include deficits in the brain for instance).

The group also recommend that the technique not be used in patients in litigation, or with severe learning or cognitive deficits as it is likely to be inaccurate due to its psychophysical basis.

It is thought that patients with neuropathic pain can be grouped into clusters based on their sensory profiles and that this may have a role in determining treatment.