Preliminary Report of a Methodology for Determining Tactile Location in Adults

Abstract

This article describes a clinically practical instrument and a reliable testing methodology that could be useful for assessing patients with disordered tactile systems. An aesthesiometer designed and constructed for this study was used to administer nine stimuli involving combinations of three different pressures (½, 1, and 2 ounces) and three different durations (½, 1, and 3 seconds), to eight stimuli sites on the dorsal and volar surfaces of the forearms and hands of 30 normal young adult women. Subjects were blindfolded and instructed to localize by pointing to each spot touched. Localization error measurements were made of the distance between the subject's finger tip and the stimulus spot. Analysis of variance of results revealed a significant difference (p < .0001) in subjects' performance among the several stimuli. The heaviest pressure and the longest duration (2 ounces, 3 seconds) resulted in the most accurate responses. Likewise, the lightest pressure and shortest duration (½ ounce, ½ second) resulted in the least accurate responses.