Equal Vibrotactile Sense Thresholds of the Fingers and Its Diagnostic Significance for Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome

• Published in: American Industrial Hygiene Association journal Vol. 56; no. 1; pp. 11 - 15
• Main Authors: Hong, Cheng, Xiang-chun, Zhang, Li, Duan, Yongkui, Ma, Jian-xin, Wang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Fairfax, VA American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal 01.01.1995; American Industrial Hygiene Association; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Arm; Biological and medical sciences; Cold; Correlation analysis; Female; Fingers - physiology; Grinding tools; Hand; Hands; Humans; Injuries of the limb. Injuries of the spine; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Motor ability; Occupational Diseases - physiopathology; Occupational hazards; Patients; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - physiopathology; Senses; Sensory Thresholds; Studies; Syndrome; Touch - physiology; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Vibration; Workers; United States > US; Human; Vibration disease; Tactile sensitivity; Vibration induced disorder; Threshold detection; Finger; Diagnosis; Occupational exposure; Hand
• ISSN: 0002-8894; 2163-369X
• DOI: 10.1080/15428119591017259

The vibrotactile sense thresholds (VSTs) of the middle fingers of 60 healthy persons and 97 patients with Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) or subclinical HAVS were measured quantitatively. Intermittent vibratory irritations were adopted, with vibration stimulus frequencies at 8, 16, 31.5, 63, 125, 250, and 500 Hz. The equal VST contours of the fingers were mapped. Results showed that the VSTs of the normal group were not correlated with sex or handedness. From 8 Hz to 250Hz the equal VST contours of the normal group were relatively flat; at more than 250 Hz the contours began an abrupt ascent. The VST values had a logarithmic rising tendency with the increasing age of subjects. In the equal VST contours the frequency of the most sensitive threshold value was 125 Hz in the normal group and 8 Hz in the HAVS group. The patients' VST values were higher than that of the healthy persons. The vibrotactilegram showed that the VST values of the patient groups first shifted at high frequencies and VST loss displayed a "V"-type hollow at 125 Hz and 250 Hz. The quantitative test method of VST was a valuable auxiliary detection method for HAVS. The "V"-type hollow of VST was an early clinical manifestation of HAVS.