Individual factors and physical work load in relation to sensory thresholds in a middle-aged general population sample

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore individual and occupational factors possibly related to sensory thresholds in 484 middle-aged men and women from the general population. Multivariate analyses were performed using a linear model including eight covariates (age, body height, skin temperature, smoking habits, musculoskeletal symptoms during the last week before examination, isometric muscle strength, aerobic capacity, and average physical work load during the last 15 years). Men and women were considered separately in all analyses. Major findings were as follows: pressure pain thresholds increased with muscle strength; cold perception thresholds on the foot improved with increasing skin temperature; vibration and warm perception thresholds on the foot increased with age and body height; pressure pain threshold on the leg was decreased and vibration threshold on the hand was increased in women with musculoskeletal symptoms; pressure pain thresholds were slightly increased in men reporting long-lasting high physical work load. Significant sex differences were found for the majority of sensory thresholds, that is higher thresholds in men. However, body height was found to be more important than gender for differences in vibration and warm perception thresholds on the foot.

An 18-month follow-up study on vibrotactile sense, muscle strength and symptoms in computer users with and without symptoms

“…This is in accordance with Greening and Lynn (1998). Furthermore, a positive association between symptoms in the hand/wrist area and elevated levels of perception thresholds for vibration has been found (Torge´n and Swerup 2002). However, whether there in the present study is a causal relation between the elevated levels of perception thresholds and the symptoms is an open question.…”

Prevalence of cold‐related musculoskeletal pain according to self‐reported threshold temperature among the Finnish adult population

“…It is generally believed that women perceive more cold discomfort and body cooling than men (Bingefors and Isacson, 2004;Sormunen et al, 2009), but our analysis, adjusted for relevant confounders, particularly diagnosed diseases, found only a marginally higher TT among women, and only at the coldest temperatures. Women may be more sensitive to cold perceptions (Torgén and Swerup, 2002), but we cannot rule out the possibility that women's lower threshold for reporting symptoms (Sarlani et al, 2003) might have influenced the result.…”

Effect of individual finger skin temperature on vibrotactile perception threshold

“…For a quantitative assessment of peripheral nervous system disorders, the vibrotactile perception threshold (VPT) at fingertips is measured using pallesthesiometry. Impaired vibrotactile perception may be induced by some exogenic factors including neurotoxic chemicals, a number of anticancer drugs and physical factors having direct impact on upper extremities, namely cumulated mechanical trauma and vibration [1,2]. It may also be caused by such conditions as diabetic, alcohol-related, hormonal, metabolic and inflammatory mononeuropathies, carpal tunnel syndrome as well as malnutritionrelated polyneuropathies [3].…”