Article

The stimuli of commonly used sensibility measurement instruments tested in this study demonstrate unequivocally that "hand-held instruments" produce variations in application force from one stimulation to another, one instrument to another,and from one examiner to another. These application force variations cannot be compensated for by care in technique and need to be controlled for measurement reliability. Only the Stemm-Weinstein monofilaments provide some control of force during application and can be considered force controlled if calibrated and applied correctly. The monofilaments, too, become less controlable if applied too quickly and bouced against the skin. Two-point discrimination instruments, in particular, lack control in application force, with the force of one point significantly 4E2from two points. A difference in applied force makes it possible for a apteient to solve the two-point discrimination test by discerning the difference between heavier and lighter forces, rather than one or two-point regognition. Tuning fork instruments for vibration testing have even larger variations in application force amplitude rendering their stimulus highly uncontrolled and masking the actual vibration of the tuning fork. Spectral analysis of the force frequency signal produce by hand held sensibility measurement instruments shows they all produce both low and high frequency signal sufficient in strength to stimulate both slowly adapting and quickly adapting end organs, and are not capable of stimulating one particular group.

Langue : ANGLAIS

Identifiant basis : 1997003338