Contribution of peripheral input to length discrimination during use of a precision grip

This study examined the ability of 63 subjects to discriminate a length difference, using a precision grip with the thumb and the index finger. To assess the relative contribution of different peripheral inputs associated with the discriminative ability of precision grip, three tasks were performed under each of three conditions-normal conditions; when vibratory stimuli were delivered to the forearm muscles; and when a local anesthetic was administered to the index finger. Under the first and second conditions, the length difference detected most frequently was 2.0 mm; in the third task, it was 3.0 mm. When a 100-Hz vibratory stimulus was applied to the forearm muscles, no difference in the threshold for length discrimination was observed for three of seven subjects. After injection of lidocaine into the metacarpophalangeal joint of the index finger, the threshold for length discrimination was significantly different for five of seven subjects. The detected length difference ranged from 1.0 to 4.0 mm. The authors question whether a single peripheral input is likely to make a major contribution to the complex perception that is used for discrimination tasks.