Light touch thresholds in diabetic patients

To determine whether touch acuity is altered in individuals with maturity-onset diabetes, tactile thresholds on the pad of the index finger of 32 diabetic and 27 nondiabetic subjects were compared. A set of modified Von Frey hairs was used to present touch stimuli in a forced-choice tracking procedure that controls for subject response bias. The mean tactile threshold of diabetic patients was significantly higher than that of nondiabetic subjects, although the difference between the two groups is small. Within the diabetic group, decreased tactile acuity was associated with a longer duration of disease diagnosis, presence of insulin therapy, and low-digit temperature. However, reported presence or absence of peripheral sensory symptoms (tingling, numbness, etc.) in diabetic patients did not relate to touch thresholds. The small but significant increase in touch threshold that was observed in diabetic individuals may provide an early indication of sensory neuropathy. Further use of threshold determinations will contribute to our understanding of sensory changes that accompany diabetes.