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Effect of age and height on vibrotactile threshold among 1,663 U.S. workers
T Skov1, K Steenland, J Deddens
1National Institute of Occupational Health, København, Denmark.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine
|October 27, 1998
Summary
Vibrotactile threshold, important for neuropathy studies, increases with age after 35, especially in toes. Height also affects toe thresholds, suggesting longer nerves are more vulnerable.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Occupational Health
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Vibrotactile threshold assessment is crucial for diagnosing neuropathies.
- Understanding age and height effects on thresholds is vital for accurate clinical interpretation and confounder control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between finger and toe vibrotactile thresholds and demographic factors (age, height).
- To provide a comprehensive analysis of these relationships using a large, diverse dataset.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of vibrometry data from 1,663 participants across five National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health studies.
- Examination of age and height as predictors of finger and toe vibrotactile thresholds.
Main Results:
- A J-shaped increase in finger vibrotactile threshold with age was observed, with a linear increase after age 35.
- Height was not a significant predictor for finger thresholds.
- Toe vibrotactile thresholds showed a linear increase with both age and height, with sparser data.
Conclusions:
- Age significantly impacts vibrotactile thresholds, particularly after 35, with a more pronounced effect on toes.
- The greater influence of age and height on toe thresholds supports the hypothesis that nerve length increases neuropathy susceptibility.