Is the bedside timed vibration test reliable?

• Published in: Muscle & nerve Vol. 39; no. 2; pp. 221 - 223
• Main Authors: Botez, Stephan A., Liu, George, Logigian, Eric, Herrmann, David N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.02.2009; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; Ankle - innervation; Ankle - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular system; Cranial nerves. Spinal roots. Peripheral nerves. Autonomic nervous system. Gustation. Olfaction; Female; Fingers - innervation; Fingers - physiology; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Knee - innervation; Knee - physiology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Muscle, Skeletal - innervation; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques; peripheral neuropathy; Point-of-Care Systems; quantitative sensory testing; Reproducibility of Results; timed vibration; Toes - innervation; Toes - physiology; Vibration; vibration sense sensation; Young Adult; Correlation coefficient; Human; Sensation; Nervous system diseases; Vibration; vibration sense sensation; Peripheral nerve disease; Reliability; peripheral neuropathy; quantitative sensory testing; timed vibration
• ISSN: 0148-639X; 1097-4598
• DOI: 10.1002/mus.21143

The timed vibration test (TVT) is an easy‐to‐perform bedside sensory test; however, its reliability is not well established at sites commonly used for clinical testing. We evaluated intra‐ and interrater reliability of the TVT in a healthy control cohort of 25 adult volunteers and assessed the influence of neurologic training on TVT. Intrarater [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) range 0.79–0.92] and interrater (ICC range 0.0.82–0.95) reliability of TVT was high at different sites, which suggests that TVT is a reliable bedside examination when performed using a standardized protocol. Muscle Nerve 39: 221–223, 2009