EVALUATION OF CUTANEOUS VIBRATION THRESHOLDS IN MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTIONISTS

This study was designed to determine whether vibration thresholds of t ranscriptionists varied significantly from tl-ie thresholds of individ uals not exposed to keyboard activities. Using a multifrequency vibrom eter, we obtained vibration threshold values from 31 medical transcrip tionists who perform work on computer keyboards and compared them to v alues obtained from 40 control subjects. Thresholds tended to became m ore abnormal at higher frequencies, although this difference was stati stically significant only at frequencies of 125 Hz, 250 Hz, and 500 Hz in the index and small fingers. Vibration thresholds were not found t o increase significantly with age or years of occupation. Vibration th resholds were significantly increased in medical transcriptionists at the higher frequencies, suggesting subtle neural dysfunction.