System and method for determining nociceptive withdrawal reflex threshold and quantifying a reflex receptive field

A system for determining a nociceptive withdrawal reflex threshold of a person, the system comprising:

• a stimulator arranged to generate a stimulation in response to a control signal, wherein an intensity level of the stimulation is adjustable in accordance with information in the control signal,
• an electromyographic sensor arranged to sense an electromyographic signal and output electromyographic data representative of muscle activity of the person, and
• a processor system arranged for connection to the stimulator and the electromyographic sensor,
• wherein the processor system is arranged to provide a set of control signals to the stimulator, the set of control signals being adapted to control the stimulator to provide a set of stimulations with different stimulation intensity levels to the person, wherein at least one stimulation of said set of stimulations has an intensity level arranged to provoke a spinal cord withdrawal reflex in the person,
• wherein the processor system is arranged to receive electromyographic data representative of muscle activity of the person in response to each stimulation of said set of stimulations, and
• wherein the processor system is arranged to process the stimulation intensity levels and said electromyographic data representative of muscle activity of the person in response to each stimulation to determine a measure of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex threshold of the person.