REFERENCE VALUES FOR TOUCH SENSIBILITY THRESHOLDS IN HEALTHY NEPALESEVOLUNTEERS

A hundred and thirty-six apparently healthy volunteers between the age s of 16 and 67 were used to determine normative thresholds of tactile sensibility in the Nepali adult population. Tactile sensibility thresh olds on standardized sites on hands and feet were assessed for two sen sory tests: Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments (SWM) and moving-point disc rimination (M2PD). Results are reported as the proportion of subjects able to feel a given threshold. The effect of age, sex, side, occupati on, smoking habit and alcohol consumption on the results was examined with quantile regression. On the hand 200 mg seemed an appropriate thr eshold for 'normal' touch sensibility measured with monofilaments. Abo ut 99% (95% confidence interval 97-100) of individuals could detect th is filament at all sites. A similar proportion could discriminate two points 4 mm apart which were moved from proximal to distal on the vola r pad of the distal phalanx of the index and little finger. For the so le of the foot the thresholds were 2 g and 8 mm. Variability of result s was greatest at the heel. Normal thresholds for tactile sensibility were higher than those published for the North American population. Mo nofilament thresholds suitable for screening were 200 mg (log number 3 .61) and 2 g (log number 4.31) for hand and foot, respectively. For mo ving 2-point discrimination on the hand this threshold was 4 mm.