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Normal distributions of thermal and vibration sensory thresholds
Author(s) -
Bartlett Gillian,
Stewart John D.,
Tamblyn Robyn,
Abrahamowicz Michal
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4598(199803)21:3<367::aid-mus11>3.0.co;2-x
Subject(s) - percentile , vibration , sensory system , nonparametric statistics , population , sensory threshold , mathematics , statistics , quantitative sensory testing , covariate , parametric statistics , medicine , audiology , acoustics , physics , psychology , cognitive psychology , environmental health , cognitive science
The distributions of sensory thresholds were estimated in a healthy population while controlling for potential covariates. Using the method of levels and the two‐alternative forced choice, thermal and vibration thresholds respectively were measured in the hand and foot of 148 subjects. Age was uniformly distributed between 20 and 86 years. Independent effects of age, gender, height, and skin temperature were estimated using multiple linear regression. Parametric and nonparametric methods were used to estimate the distributions of interest. Significant age‐related increases were observed for all vibration thresholds ( P < 0.0001), and for thermal thresholds in the foot ( P < 0.0002). Percentiles were estimated for thermal thresholds in the hand and age‐adjusted continuous distributions were calculated for all other thresholds. Height was positively associated with vibration thresholds in the foot ( P < 0.003), and appropriate corrections were made. Our results provide reference values for thermal and vibration sensory thresholds in a healthy population, allowing for the accurate diagnosis of disordered sensory function. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 21:367–374, 1998.