Repeatability of vibrotactile perception thresholds obtained with two different measuring systems.

OBJECTIVES The measurement of vibrotactile perception thresholds (VPTs) on the workers' fingertips is one of the diagnostic methods of the occupational peripheral neuropathies. The aim of the study was to compare the repeatability of VPT measurements in two groups of healthy women with different finger skin temperature, using two different types of measuring systems. MATERIALS AND METHODS One measuring system employed a pallesthesiometer, and the measurement procedure complied with the new ISO 13091-1 standard; the other used vibrotactile meter according to the Polish procedure. Ten healthy women, mean age, 38.5 years, took part in 10 sessions, twice a day for over a five-day period. VPTs were measured on 3 fingers of both hands at eight discrete frequencies from 4 to 500 Hz with a pallesthesiometer, and adequately at five frequencies from 63 to 500 Hz with a vibrotactile meter. RESULTS It was observed that the succession of repeated vibration perception measurements, determined according to the ISO method, did not significantly influence the mean values of vibrotactile thresholds in subjects with the finger skin temperature not lower than 29degrees C. The repeatability of vibrotactile threshold measurements was similar in both groups only when the ISO method was used. The mean VPT values, obtained with the ISO 13091-1 method, were significantly higher in healthy subjects with lower finger skin temperature, which did not exceed 28 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS The results of vibrotactile threshold measurements, obtained according to the ISO 13091-1 method, are repeatable. Repeatability of vibrotactile threshold results obtained with the ISO 13091-1 method, within the range of low frequencies up to 125 Hz does not depend on the finger skin temperature.