Plantar sensory vibration thresholds are not influenced by body position

AbstractMonitoring skin sensitivity is studied to clarify its relationship on balance. Measuring skin sensitivity is performed when subjects are sitting or lying, whereas balance tests are measured during standing. However, afferent signal processing and subsequent efferent responses can be altered by different body positions. Therefore, this study investigated whether vibration perception thresholds (VPTs) are influenced by body positions. Sixty-six healthy subjects (41♀; 25♂) participated in this study. Five measurements of VPTs were performed at each of the three analyzed anatomical locations (heel, first metatarsal head, hallux) of the right plantar foot under two randomized conditions: during sitting and standing. The contact force applied to the probe was measured and controlled within the five trials. Contact forces between the probe and the foot were higher during standing. However, no differences in VPTs were found between conditions. This indicates that VPTs are not different during standing com...