Vibration Sensation: Measurement Techniques and Applications

Abstract

Vibratory sensation has attracted the attention of physicists, physiologists, and other investigators for over 150 years. It has been the subject of much theorizing, often poorly substantiated by fact. Our understanding of the sense of vibration has significantly advanced within the last 40 years, with the advent of modern electrophysiological studies of the sensory end-organs and their neural connections. By using electromagnetic and computer-assisted devices, we are now able to quantify vibration perception thresholds and evaluate the many causes of altered vibration sensation. These include peripheral polyneuropathy, acute and chronic peripheral nerve damage, and vibration perception deficits of central origin. This article reviews the history of the study of vibration sensation, the physiology of the vibratory sense, and the techniques used to evaluate vibration sensation. Furthermore, the factors that modify vibration perception in various disease states are discussed.