Enhancing tactile sensation in older adults with electrical noise stimulation

被引:87
作者
Dhruv, NT
Niemi, JB
Harry, JD
Lipsitz, LA
Collins, JJ
机构
[1] Boston Univ, Ctr Biodynam, Boston, MA 02215 USA
[2] Boston Univ, Dept Biomed Engn, Boston, MA 02215 USA
[3] Sensory Technol Inc, Providence, RI USA
[4] Hebrew Rehabil Ctr Aged, Res & Training Inst, Boston, MA 02131 USA
[5] Beth Israel Deaconess Med Ctr, Gerontol Div, Boston, MA 02215 USA
[6] Harvard Univ, Sch Med, Div Aging, Boston, MA 02115 USA
关键词
Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments; somatosensory; stochastic resonance;
D O I
10.1097/00001756-200204160-00012
中图分类号
Q189 [神经科学];
学科分类号
071006 ;
摘要
Older adults often suffer from diminished somatosensation stemming from age-related neuropathy. Recently, localized low-level electrical noise stimulation was shown to enhance tactile sensitivity in healthy young subjects. Here, we hypothesized that fine-touch sensitivity in older adults can be similarly improved. Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments were used to evaluate fine-touch sensitivity on the first metatarsal phalangeal joint with four electrical stimulus conditions and a null (no-noise) condition in nine healthy elderly subjects. Electrical noise stimulation resulted in a statistically significant increase in the number of detections below the null-condition detection threshold, for five of the nine subjects, as well as across the entire population. This work suggests that electrical noise-based techniques may enable people to overcome functional difficulties due to age-related sensory loss. NeuroReport 13:597-600 (C) 2002 Lippincott Williams Wilkins.
引用
收藏
页码:597 / 600
页数:4
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