Vibrotactile threshold measurement for detecting neurotoxicity: reliability and determination of age- and height-standardized normative values

Details

• Personal Author:
  Gerr F ; Hershman D ; Letz R
• Description:
  The results of two investigations of vibrotactile threshold test performance were presented. In the first investigation, the test/retest reliability and time efficiency of two methods of threshold generation were determined in 22 subjects with diabetes drawn from a hospital based clinic. Specifically, a forced choice method was compared to a method of limits (MOL) procedure. The second investigation was performed to determine major effect modifiers of vibrotactile thresholds measured with the MOL procedure and to provide provisional normative values. The MOL proved to be a reliable and time efficient procedure during its test on 131 blue collar workers who were 29 to 76 years of age. Age and height were noted to significantly effect modifiers and had to be controlled for when vibrotactile thresholds were measured for either clinical or epidemiologic purposes. Other sources of variability have to be identified. The authors state that specific attention must be given to the effects of calluses, local trauma, medical illness, substance use and other parameters. Additional validation must include comparison of these measurements to conventional clinical tests, including physical examination and electroneurography. Finally, the utility of these measurements as early markers of disease must be evaluated in prospective investigations. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Age Factors Biomechanical Phenomena Ergonomics Nervous System Nervous System Diseases Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Age-factors Biomechanics Medical-screening Nervous-system-disorders Neurological-reactions Neuropathology NIOSH-Grant NIOSH-Publication
• ISSN:
  0003-9896
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  New York ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  148-154
• Volume:
  45
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00195285
• Citation:
  Arch Environ Health 1990 May; 45(3):148-154
• Contact Point Address:
  Community Medicine Mount Sinai School of Medicine One Gustave L Levy Place New York, N Y 10029
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1990
• Performing Organization:
  Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19861101
• Source Full Name:
  Archives of Environmental Health
• End Date:
  19870831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ff30978765c1058d2d4e57bfc9cae3ba1887dc7554f28461cec8d85456ac991a7e75a1c5c286c88a6823115731b43b277de99c18cfc08075982791208df3cc5d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/205874/cdc_205874_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 759.20 KB ]